State of Nature Flashcards
What is the State of Nature?
It is a theoretical construct.
Men are in a state of nature when not under common government.
Is nature a state of war of all against all?
No, nature is universally binding and men could leave it peacefully without positive (state) law.
What were the property rights in the state of Nature?
Life, liberty, and possessions were rights that existed before government existence.
How did property exist pre-government?
Property existed in ourselves and therefore could not be interfered with by others - this is because of Locke’s theory about how property is created see next deck.
What are external goods and how do we own them?
The world was given to us in common by God, who gave us the skills & talents to employ on the earth - doing labour on the goods means we acquire those goods.
