John Locke

1
John Locke

• Second Treatise Of Civil Government

2
Locke

• Built upon Hobbes ideas in Leviathan.
• Social Contract
• Supported Monarchy
• Product of Enlightenment
• 1649 Charles I
• 1689 Glorious Revolution.
• Based on Natural Law
• Plainly knowable to man/rational mind.

3
Natural Law

• State of Liberty is not a state of license-Why?
• NL sponsors self preservation of self and the
  human species.
• Why Quit the State of Nature?- One is full of
  fears and continual danger- Like Hobbes- but need
  is there to protect property-

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Flaw of Natural Law

• Bias of self intent
• Need for an indifferent judge
• Some will resist punishment- COPS
• Drives us to form the human society- The State

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The State

• What is given up in the State?
• 1. Unlimited Freedoms
• 2. Power to punish- Anarchy if we could have
  that power.
• BUT.. Life is better not worse for the trade
  off. Think about it!

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Legislative Power

• Essential Element of government of society
• 1. One set for all- no favoritism
• 2. Goal is for good of the people.
• 3. No Taxes without representation-Sound
  familiar?
• 4. Cannot donate legislative power(to Monarchy).

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Popular Sovereignty

• Legitimacy and authority (legislative) come from
  consent of the people.
• Government can forfeit its legitimacy and
  authority by poor performance or time limits-
  reverts to community(not individual) to be
  reformed
• Examples?

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Virtue

• What would Locke say about virtue?
• Did Enlightenment get it right? Rights versus
  responsibilities?

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Critical Review

• Closing question Americans are theoretically
  committed to the ideals set forth in The Second
  Treatise of Civil Government Do we practice
  these ideals in society? In Government? How? If
  not, why not?

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Lending Madison a helping hand

• I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do
  everything, but I can do something. And I will
  not let what I cannot do interfere with what I
  can do. Edward Everett Hale