Isabella Carter
John Locke's Second Treatise, published in 1689, outlines a theory of civil society based on natural rights and contract theory. Locke's ideas about natural liberty, social contract theory, religious tolerance, and the right to revolution were highly influential in the formation of the American revolutionary ideology and the US Constitution. Locke's treatise taught the founding generation important lessons about the social contract, natural rights, and the right of revolution. His assertion that the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power clearly rejects slavery in the context of a monarchy. Locke's treatise contributed to the formation of the US Constitution by shaping the delegates' views on the protection of life, liberty, and estate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Natural rights | "The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power" |
| Contract theory | "To be a slave is to be subject to the absolute, arbitrary power of another" |
| Legitimacy of rule | "The consent of the governed was critical for legitimate rule" |
| Rejection of slavery | "Submission to absolute monarchy is a violation of the law of nature" |
| Rejection of monarchy | "The liberal state repudiates the classical and Christian vision of politics" |
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What You'll Learn
The importance of natural liberty and natural rights
John Locke's Second Treatise on Government, published anonymously in 1689, outlines the philosopher's ideas for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory. Locke's views in the Second Treatise extolled the importance of "natural liberty" or natural rights and how the consent of the governed was critical for legitimate rule. Locke's work was a key foundational text in the theory of liberalism, repudiating the classical and Christian vision of politics.
In the Second Treatise, Locke asserts that "the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power". This statement clearly rejects slavery in the context of a monarchy. Locke argues that to be a slave is to be subject to the absolute, arbitrary power of another. Men do not have this power even over themselves, so they cannot sell or grant it to another. Locke notes that one who has violated the law of nature, for example, may be enslaved.
Locke's views on natural liberty and natural rights were particularly influential for the American revolutionaries. Locke spent part of his career focused on British colonial affairs in North America, and his ideas about the importance of natural liberty and consent of the governed became hallmarks of American revolutionary ideology.
Locke's ideas about natural liberty and natural rights also had implications for his understanding of monarchy and conquest. For Locke, submission to absolute monarchy is a violation of the law of nature, as one does not have the right to enslave oneself. Similarly, aggressors in an unjust war cannot claim a right of conquest, and anything they despoil may be retaken as soon as the dispossessed are able to do so.
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Consent of the governed
John Locke's Second Treatise on Government, published anonymously in 1689, outlines his ideas for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory. Locke, an Enlightenment-era British political philosopher, polymath, and government official, was one of the most influential figures on the American revolutionaries.
Locke's views in the Second Treatise emphasised the importance of "natural liberty" or natural rights and how the consent of the governed was critical for legitimate rule. This position later became a hallmark of American revolutionary ideology. Locke argued that all men are naturally in a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and persons as they see fit within the bounds of the law of nature. This liberty, according to Locke, does not come from submission to a superior power, including a monarch.
Locke's concept of consent of the governed also extended to his thoughts on slavery. In Chapter 4 ("Of Slavery") of the Second Treatise, Locke provides a justification for slavery that cannot be met, thus constituting an argument against the institution. He notes that slavery cannot arise from a contract, which forms the basis of his political system. According to Locke, to be a slave is to be subject to the arbitrary power of another, and since individuals do not have this power over themselves, they cannot grant it to another. Therefore, slavery, in Locke's view, is a violation of natural law, and individuals have a moral obligation to resist and escape it.
In summary, Locke's emphasis on the consent of the governed in the Second Treatise helped shape the understanding of legitimate political power and challenged the notion of unfettered monarchical authority. His ideas influenced the development of democratic principles and the belief that government derives its just power from the governed.
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Legitimacy of monarchies
John Locke's Second Treatise on Government, published in 1690, taught the founding generation important lessons about the social contract, natural rights, and the right of revolution. Locke's political philosophy, outlined in his Second Treatise, played a significant role in shaping the US Constitution's foundational principles.
Locke's Second Treatise challenged the legitimacy of monarchies and the notion of divine right rule. In his work, Locke refutes Sir Robert Filmer's "Patriarcha," which argued for a divinely ordained, hereditary, and absolute monarchy. According to Filmer, the Biblical Adam, as a father, possessed unlimited power over his children, and this authority passed down through the generations. Locke disagreed with this idea, asserting that while fatherhood may grant authority, it is only through the act of begetting and cannot be transmitted to one's children as only God can create life.
Locke's concept of the social contract theory, presented in his Second Treatise, provided a different perspective on the role of civil government. He argued that governments are formed by the consent of the governed, stating that the "consent of the majority" gives power to the government, either directly or through their chosen representatives. This notion shifted the focus of political power from the monarch to the people, challenging the traditional legitimacy of monarchies.
Locke also addressed the topic of slavery and its relation to monarchy. He argued that submission to absolute monarchy is a violation of the law of nature, as individuals do not have the right to enslave themselves. Locke's discussion on slavery was not a justification for the practice but a critique of the increasing power of kings in 17th-century England. He noted that slavery cannot arise from a contract, which formed the basis of his political system. Instead, slavery, according to Locke, involves the absolute and arbitrary power of one individual over another, which contradicts the concept of natural rights and freedoms.
Locke's ideas on the social contract, natural rights, and the critique of absolute monarchy provided intellectual support for the American Revolution and the development of the US Constitution. His writings influenced the founding fathers' thinking, contributing to the creation of a constitutional framework that limited the powers of the monarch and established a government based on the consent of the governed.
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Right to freedom
John Locke's "Second Treatise of Government" was published in 1689 (or 1690, according to another source). It is considered a foundational text in the theory of liberalism and had a significant influence on the American revolutionaries. Locke's ideas about natural rights and freedom were particularly notable.
Locke's assertion that "the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power" is a clear rejection of slavery in the context of a monarchy. He writes:
> "I have reason to conclude that he who would get me into his power without my consent, would use me as he pleased when he had got me there, and destroy me too when he had a fancy to it; for no body can desire to have me in his absolute power, unless it be to compel me by force to that which is against the right of my freedom, i.e. make me a slave. To be free from such force is the only security of my preservation; and reason bids me look on him, as an enemy to my preservation, who would take away that freedom which is the fence to it; so that he who makes an attempt to enslave me, thereby puts himself into a state of war with me."
Locke's ideas about freedom and consent were critical to his political philosophy. He argued that all people are naturally in a "state of perfect freedom" to order their actions and dispose of their possessions as they see fit, within the bounds of natural law. This natural liberty, according to Locke, is to be free from any superior power on earth and not to be subjected to the will or legislative authority of another person.
Locke's views on slavery are more complex. While he rejects the idea of slavery under a monarchy, he also co-authored the "Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina", which endorses slavery, aristocracy, and serfdom. In his "Second Treatise", Locke asks under what conditions slavery might be justified, noting that it cannot come about through contract. He argues that to be a slave is to be subject to the arbitrary power of another, and as people do not have this power over themselves, they cannot grant it to another.
Locke's ideas about freedom and consent formed a critical part of his political philosophy, which had a significant influence on the American revolutionaries and the development of liberal thought.
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Right of conquest
John Locke's Second Treatise of Government, published in 1689, outlines his ideas for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory. It is a key foundational text in the theory of liberalism. In the treatise, Locke describes the state of nature, appealing to God's creative intent in his case for human equality. He argues that the world was originally held in common and that even if it were not, God's grant to Adam covered only the land and animals, not human beings.
Locke's ideas on the right of conquest are particularly relevant to the formation of the US Constitution. He neutralises the claims of those who see all authority flowing from William I by his right of conquest. Locke argues that in the absence of any other claims to authority, all kings would have to found their authority on the consent of the governed. He removes the incentive for conquest by limiting the spoils of war to reparations sufficient to cover the costs of the war. This makes it impossible for conquest to be a profitable endeavour.
Locke also challenges the rights of conquerors, arguing that aggressors in an unjust war can claim no right of conquest. He believes that everything they despoil may be retaken as soon as the dispossessed have the strength to do so. This idea is significant as it justifies revolution and the overthrow of monarchs who have not acquired the people's approbation.
Furthermore, Locke's discussion of slavery in the treatise is relevant to the topic of the right of conquest. He asks under what conditions slavery might be justified and concludes that it cannot come about as a matter of contract. Instead, he argues that to be a slave is to be subject to the absolute, arbitrary power of another. This idea has implications for the right of conquest as it suggests that submission to absolute monarchy is a violation of the law of nature.
Locke's Second Treatise of Government taught the founding generation of the United States important lessons about the social contract, natural rights, and the right of revolution. It influenced the formation of the US Constitution by challenging the notion of the right of conquest and asserting the importance of consent, natural rights, and just war.
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Frequently asked questions
The Second Treatise is part of the Two Treatises of Government, a work of political philosophy published anonymously in 1689 by John Locke.
The Second Treatise outlines Locke's ideas for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory. It covers the importance of "natural liberty" or natural rights and how the consent of the governed is critical for legitimate rule.
Locke's ideas in the Second Treatise taught the founding generation important lessons about the social contract, natural rights, and the right of revolution. His concerns about the protection of "life, liberty, and estate" were universally shared by the delegates in Philadelphia, who worried that the state governments had failed in this basic task.
The First Treatise focuses on the refutation of Sir Robert Filmer's Patriarcha, which argued that civil society was founded on divinely sanctioned patriarchalism. The Second Treatise builds on this by outlining Locke's positive theory of government.
Later historians have debated Locke's intentions in writing the Second Treatise, interpreting him as a radical libertarian, an apologist for capitalism, a social democrat, a moral individualist, an atheistic hedonist, or a deeply religious reformer. Some also criticize his failure to specify if the right to freedom extends to all men, including African and Native Americans.
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