Locke on Private Property

Question 1

What was Locke’s second treatise about?

Answer 1

Rival account of political authority based on natural freedom and equality.

Question 2

How does Locke’s view of the state of nature differ from Hobbes’s view?

Answer 2

Locke has an positive account of the state of nature.

As we are all the creation of God - we are all equal.

Question 3

What rights do people have in the state of nature according to Locke?

Answer 3

People use reason to determine right and wrong.
We all have natural rights - have a duty to not harm other and them the same.
Right of liberty - cannot interfere with another person’s liberty.

Question 4

Why is right to property important for Locke?

Answer 4

Involves life, liberty, state, if we are all equal why should some own property and not others (this interest Locke).

Question 5

How do people acquire rights to property?

Answer 5

People take things from nature (which they all have right to) and mix it with their labour for self-preservation.
This allows different entitlements of property to develop.
Only through developments of land and labour can your acquire this land, right to property.

Question 6

What rights to the government protect?

Answer 6

Protects the fundamental rights (inalienable) - life, liberty and property.
We are not free to take someone’s life, liberty or freedom or our own.
It defends its people - given legitimacy.

Question 7

What is the issue with absolute rulers?

Answer 7

Absolute rulers will fails their people, when a government abuses their people - they can be overthrown, people have the capacity come up with a better system because they have reason.
People can withdraw consent from a government.

Question 8

What are the conditions in the state of nature?

Answer 8

No natural authority - moral equality.
Equal freedom - everyone is entitled to an equal and distinct share of freedoms.
We are all equal, no good reason to suppose anyone is more equal than anyone else.
Even though we are free, we are not free to violate the laws of nature (life, liberty, property).

Question 9

What is the executive right?

Answer 9

Right to prevent/punish violators of property rights.

In the state of nature we can do whatever to protect our property as their is no authority to do this.

Question 10

What do property rights include?

Answer 10

Our bodies, distinct and separate parts of the external worlds.
Anything we mix our labour with.

Question 11

What are the constraints in the state of nature?

Answer 11

We can’t give up our natural rights, can’ take mine of someone else’s.
Life, liberty and property - not free to violate the laws of nature.

Question 12

Why can’t we give up our natural rights?

Answer 12

1. They are not ours to give up, given up God.

2. They are inalienable, can’t be transferred, makes them profoundly ours.

Question 13

What is self-ownership?

Answer 13

Each is the sovereign owner of himself and enjoys authority over the use of his powers.

Question 14

How can one forfeit their rights?

Answer 14

Choose to commit a serious life of another like murder.

Question 15

Why is self-ownership so important?

Answer 15

Forms strong moral rights against infringement on our person - explains the intuition that individuals decide how their life goes.
Example - career path, religion, love, etc.

Question 16

What can happen when everyone has self-ownership?

Answer 16

We can rationally construct formula which tells us what other rights we have.

Question 17

How does self-ownership develop into private property?

Answer 17

As we have ownership of our bodies, we have ownership over what they produce.
When man mixes his labour with what is not already privately owned - they come to own that thing as well.

Question 18

What is Locke’s solution to people taking too much?

Answer 18

1. Nothing must be wasted ‘a non-spoilage proviso’. - rational to believe there are limits to forbid waste, can’t privatise so much that it goes to waste.
2. Leave ‘enough and as good’ for others. - as much as man fills, plants, improves, cultivates and use the product, he cannot take too much, he must leave enough for others. It is a demand of equality.

Question 19

Why aren’t landowners not infringe the rule of not taking too much land?

Answer 19

They appropriate the land - sharing it with others. Offering paid employment which offsets the negative effects of appropriation.
Some people are better at organising productive activity - advantage for people to sell their labour.

Question 20

What is the implication of having big landowners?

Answer 20

Economic inequality is permissible as long as no one is worse off than they would have been under common ownership.

Question 21

How much economic inequality should be allowed?

Answer 21

As long as no one is worse off than they would have been.

Question 22

Why was the introduction of money positive for Locke?

Answer 22

Need to exchange goods - using money is rational.

Money doesn’t rot - no violation of the wastage limit.

Question 23

Why is a division of labour positive?

Answer 23

Division of labour allows more economic growth, creates more efficiency if people have specialist skills. Rational to create a division of labour.

Question 24

Why is inequality good?

Answer 24

The inequalities of wealth - consistent with human moral equality, everyone still morally equal.
Rational for landowners to exercise rights for long stretches of time - produces differences in property holds.
Inequalities emerge without anyone’s rights being violated.