John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government

John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government is a book about Locke’s thoughts and ideas of the Charles II scandal. In this book, Locke speaks of the purpose of government and how their purpose is to protect our rights. How people are born with certain rights, the best kind of government is a representative one, and if a government fails to do so, people can revolt and set up a new government (politicalforum.com). These major points, Locke hoped, would provide a rather convincing critique of England’s current form of government. Also that it would lay the groundwork for a better option of a government. This all taking place in 1679 and 1680, when the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Ashley, was working from within the aristocracy to overthrow Charles II. In the Two Treatises of Government the second treatise is more important because it is an insight of John Locke’s ideas and thoughts about the people’s rights and the government, and also how all men are equal. The first chapter defines political power as the right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property (lonang.com). He clearly states, “Political power then I take to be a right of making laws with penalties of death, and consequently all less penalties, for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community, in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the commonwealth from foreign injury, and all this only for the public good.”(Ch. 1, p. 116). Locke stated that these laws only worked because people accepted them for they were for the public good. However in chapter 2, he claims that all men are originally in a state of nature yet in chapters 3 and 4 he outlines the difference between the state of nature and the state of war. These main chapters are a derivative of all the passions and interests that Locke held within him and transferred onto paper (sheilaomalley.com/). Locke presents his notion of what is considered to be a civil and sane society living under the rule of a government that has been chosen by the people themselves and the notion of democracy. He therefore claims that any government that comes into power without the consent of people will eventually get overthrown no matter what because it would not be enjoying the masses’ favor or support. This also explains why John Locke wrote the Two Treatises of Government. Now during this time period, Locke was suspected of being involved in the Rye House Plot of 1683, which was a conspiracy to assassinate King Charles II and the Duke of York who would later become King James II, causing Locke to flee to Holland. There he revised and completed his essay, Two Treatises of Government, and in the aftermath was The Glorious Revolution (lonang.com). This Revolution is where parliament convinced William of Orange to invade England and overthrow King James II. John Locke later on, anonymously publishes his in 1689 as refutation of Sir Robert Filmer who advocated for the divine right of absolute monarchy in his Patriarcha 1680 (writeawriting.com). Locke began his essay in support of the newly crowned King William III of England to which he wrote in his essay, “These which remain I hope are sufficient to establish the throne of our great restorer, our present king William; to make good on his title in else consent of the people; ...” (the preface, p. 3)He then immediately attacked the ideas Sir Robert Filmer in his first chapter by summarizing the divine right as, “by these men’s system, except only one, are all born slaves, and by divine right are subjects to Adam’s heir…”(Book 1, Ch 4, p. 18). As I have mentioned before, his second book is most important because here he explains why he goes against Filmer’s views. He starts out the book saying, “as many epistemologists and philosophers on political philosophy had done before, at the creation of Adam” (Ch 1 introduction, p.115). From there he moves in to his second chapter titled, Of the State of Nature, where he immediately lays out the idea that all men a created equally free writing,” To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit within bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.” (Ch2, p.116). As he wrote on, he claimed that all men are created by God in an equal state of nature and unless direct divine intervention dictates otherwise, no man should be subjugated to the will of another. This is the key to understanding Locke’s philosophy. He believed in the freedom of the individual. Further summarizing his second treatise, he wrote of the consent of the governed, separation of powers, and the proper role of government; that is to defend the natural state of liberty for every man (faculty.history.wisc.). He also sees war as justified only in the event of defending liberty and speaks out strongly against slavery in chapters 3 and 4 (p.122-127). In his final chapter he advocates for the dissolution of government if the people feel that it is not in keeping with their will or the defense of their natural state of freedom. Though this publication gained him great notoriety, Locke couldn’t possibly predict the influence that he would have on so many (sheilaomalley.com). Locke supports the right of the people to overthrow rulers who betray them. The executive and the legislature coexist independently to keep each other in check. Furthermore, Locke asserts that if a leader violates the community’s trust, the people can and should replace him immediately. Similarly, if the legislative body does not fulfill the needs of the people, it should be dissolved and replaced with whatever form of government the people think best. So now we know what was occurring during 1679-1689, and why john Locke wrote The Two Treatises of Government (wikiquote.org). This also means that we know his major points and reasons and we come to realize that many people later on who will read his book take some of his ideas. A great example of his would be Thomas Jefferson when he wrote out the Declaration of Independence. Overall, John Locke wrote this book mainly to go against Robert Filmer but to also support King William the third. During the time period it took him to write and publish it, he was accused of treason and the people were attempting to overthrow Charles II. Last but not least, Locke’s major points are clear. The purpose of government and how their purpose is to protect our rights, how people are born with certain rights, the best kind of government is a representative one, and if a government fails to do so, people can revolt and set up a new government. These major points are the reason we have the type of government we have today.

Works Cited

Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Great Britain: Orion Publishing Group, 1689.

Websites: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Locke http://faculty.history.wisc.edu/sommerville/367/john_locke.htm http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/locke/ http://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=3118
http://www.writeawriting.com/write/john-locke-write-two-treatises-of-government/

Cited: Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Great Britain: Orion Publishing Group, 1689. Websites: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Locke http://faculty.history.wisc.edu/sommerville/367/john_locke.htm http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/locke/ http://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=3118 http://www.writeawriting.com/write/john-locke-write-two-treatises-of-government/