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Analysis Of John Locke's Two Treatises Of Government

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Societies, then and now, have expressed their concern of governmental control of human property, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However once these basic rights, have been tampered with, humans have a duty and right to revolt against terrene. In “The Two Treatises of Government”, John Locke made the claim that “men are by nature free and equal against claims that god had made all people naturally subject to a monarch.” (Locke, 2012) Locke uses that claim as part of the justification for understanding legitimate political government as the result of a social contract where people in the state of nature conditionally transferred some of their rights to the government in order to better ensure the stable, comfortable, enjoyment of …show more content…
There is no command in the Bible telling magistrates to bring people to the true faith and people could not consent to such a goal for government because it is not possible for people, at will, to believe that they will. Locke’s second argument is that “since the power of the government is only force, while true religion consists of genuine inward persuasion of the mind, force is incapable of bringing people to the true religion.” (Locke, 2012) Locke’s third argument is that, “even if the magistrates religion would note bring more people to be the true religion.” (Locke, …show more content…
Then by seeing that state, one can determine where necessary laws and governing bodies are needed. Locke described the role of civil government like this: “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 defense of the common-wealth from foreign injury; and all this only for the public good”. (Locke, 2012) Locke believed, that “god had made all people naturally subject to a monarch, which people are by nature free.” (Locke, 2012). This belief was the foundation of his philosophy on government. To Locke, a government existed, among other things, to promote public good, and to protect the life, liberty, and property of its people. For this reason, those who govern must be elected by the society, and the society must hold the power to instate a new Government when necessary. (Locke, 2012) (Mwita,

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