Lockes Government

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Locke's Government

The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, and The Second
Treatise on Civil Government by John Locke, are two similar works. Locke’s work seems to
have had an influence on Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Both works
were written on government, what it should and should not be.
Locke brings the view that the state exists to preserve the natural rights of its citizens.
When governments fail in that task, citizens have the right--and sometimes the duty--to
withdraw their support and event to rebel. Locke maintained that the state of nature was a happy
and tolerant one, that the social contract preserved the preexistent natural rights of the
individual to life, liberty, and property, and that the enjoyment of private rights-- the pursuit of
happiness-- led, in civil society, to the common good.
Locke’s form of government is simple, yet confusing. Locke’s government is broken
down into four main areas, the State of Nature ( SN ), the State of War ( SW ), Civil
Society ( CS ), and Political Society ( PS ). Locke begins by recognizing the differences
between power, in general, and political power in particular. Locke believes political power to
be, “the power of a magistrate over a subject.” (2) The subject remains under the magistrates
rule by choice. This brings about the State of Nature. The SN is a state of perfect freedom, no
one is controlling others and no one is being controlled, everyone is equal. Locke comes to say
that the only way someone can rule over us is if we let them. By doing this we are not
abandoning our SN, but remaining in it. It is ones choice to let another preside over them. Our
SN is threatened though because we do not have complete control, therefore we come into the
State of War. Under SW we have taken away others SN or given up our own. For us to get it
back we come into Civil Society. By lending out our SN we come together to protect it. We are
given back our SN after it has been restored. We are no longer threatened by someone taking it
away. The problem that arises is the fact that this is not a very solid solution. This leads to the
Political Society. People agree to get together and establish a PC (AKA “government”) The PC
is responsible for protecting others. We are still in our State of Nature as we have lended it out,
received it back and come to terms with others in arranging a Political Society. Locke is
attempting to understand the proper relationship betwee...

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