...Contract Theory of John Locke Shannon Roundtree June 23, 2014 Patricia DeAngelis Differences of the Social Contract Theories There were three critical thinkers who played a major role in creating the concept of the social contract theory. The overall concept of this theory was to see how individuals could survive in a world regulated by laws and government. Each of these individuals had different perspectives on the state of nature. Thomas Hobbes’ view was that man was fearful and selfish. He believed that man desired a sense of security and order. If man wanted to have a sense of self-preservation and protection, they needed to enter into a social contract and surrender their rights and freedom. In other words, a government was created to regulate their lives. Thomas Hobbes also believed that individuals were free to take whatever they wanted and be greedy, and resolve disputes with war. John Locke’s view was different than Thomas Hobbes as he believed no individual has any power over the next and everyone has the freedom to do what they want. John Locke also believed that if an individual committed a crime, they needed to be punished. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that the government should adhere to the freedom of all individuals, but with constraints. His views were that individuals could not be free in modern society like they could be in a state of nature if property and laws existed. Key Principles of John Locke’s Social Contract Theory John Locke viewed the...
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...John Locke's contributions in Philosophy and political views are followed and practiced even to this day. Locke’s ideas influenced religion, economics, political change, theories of knowledge and the human understanding that led to governmental and social improvements. John Locke believed in political reform. John Locke is one of the most influential authors and political philosophers in history. His ideas and views have influenced such momentous commodity such as the American constitution. Many of Locke’s ideas were used in the creation of the United States Constitution. John Locke was a British philosopher and medical researcher. Locke was born to Agnes Keene and John Locke on August 29, 1632, in Somerset, England. His father was a Puritan lawyer, who served as a Captain during the English civil war. Locke’s schooling began at Westminster School in 1647. He earned the title of King’s Scholar, which prepared him for the next phase of his education at the Christ Church in Oxford in 1652. He studied literature, physical science, medicine, politics, and natural philosophy. In 1656 he continued for his Master of Arts degree. In 1665 at Oxford, Locke encountered Lord Ashley, a notable statesman looking for medical treatment. After a friendship formed, Ashley invited Locke to join him in London as his personal physician. Locke agreed and left for London in 1667, where he lived for the next eight years. This was the beginning of Locke’s deep political interests, which was...
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...Social Contract Theory on the Criminal Justice System and Private Security Philosophy Foundations of Ethics in Justice and Security Social Contract Theory on the Criminal Justice System and Private Security Prior to the social contract theory, there was no government body providing laws, order, and protection. Humans were left to protect their own lives and property. When problems ensued between individuals, evolution occurred, and the strongest usually survived. From this, the social contract theory emerged, which required a group of individuals to give up their individual rights to govern themselves, and comply to a selected government authority. This government represents the group’s interests and forms and civil society that provide protection of life and property (Souryal, 2007). This paper will summarize the different social contract theories, focus on John Locke’s social contract theory principles, and discuss how these principles influenced the Bill of Rights. Additionally, this paper will search how these principles are present in the criminal justice system and private security settings. Lastly, the paper will describe freedom of personal rights and ethical standards and obligations. Social Contract Theories There are many different versions of the social contract theory. Thomas Hobbes' social contract theory defines state of nature as a condition of self-absorbed human...
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...John Locke, Thomas More, and Thomas Hobbes were all political philosophers of their time. Thomas More, would be the least of a philosopher out of the three. Thomas More, a respected statesmen and prominent political figure and advisor to Henry VIII, was best known for authoring Utopia which depicts the social, religious, and political customs of a fictional island and attempts to define an ideal society. More’s Utopia portrays a humanist ideal world, where there is freedom and harmony between individuals and Sovereign themselves. The difficulty with Utopia is that it does not consider actual human behavior patterns. A society can accept the idea of perfect society, there is no need for “thank you” or “I’m sorry” in a society that runs on perfection and generosity runs like a spectacular waterfall. The problem is that Utopia wouldn’t work, a society would become susceptible to negative behavior, once one individual abuses the generosity of others, others will see the advantage and start to follow...
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...The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Paper University of phoenix Finance and Budgeting in Justice and Security AJS/532 Matthew O’Deane November 20, 2013 The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Paper My paper evaluates the Social Contract Theory of John Locke, and how his principles are even within the criminal justice system, and private security situations nowadays. This paper shall also in great detail debate whether or not Locke’s’ values and beliefs pertain to criminal justice as well as private security venues. A summary will be presented to identify key dissimilarities of the social contract theories, recognize key any principles connected with Locke’s social contract theory, label how these codes are instilled within the United States Bill of Rights, recognize how these principles show within the criminal justice system and security organizations of present, and lastly define independence in regards to personal rights and proper principles, and commitments. “A social contract is a voluntary agreement in which mutual benefit occurs between and for individuals, groups, government or a community as a whole. According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one's life as one best sees fit, free from the interference of others (Kelly, Martin. (2012)).” This doesn’t mean that it is a state of authorization: a citizen isn’t...
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...Enlightenment Philosopher Research - John Locke John Locke was an English political philosopher who was one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers and inspired the world with his ideas about the government and natural rights. He was also known as the “Father of Liberal Philosophy” because of his belief in Liberalism, which is a government whose authority is justified by its respect for human rights. Liberal government must treat individuals with respect, and pass laws that assure people freedom and liberty. He was not a follower for absolutism since he believed that all men are “equal and independent,” so no body should not ever “harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.” Locke expanded the idea that the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of the citizens. He believed that all men should be given three natural rights such as life, liberty and property, and that people naturally receive these rights simply by being born. Therefore, the role of government was to maintain these rights and if a government fails to preserve these rights, then the people have the right to change their government. Locke’s ideas were spread to the American thinkers when two of the English writers, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon popularized Locke’s political ideas in a famous series of articles published in London newspapers, and these had the most direct impact on American philosophers. Locke’s influence was most apparent in the Declaration of Independence...
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...John Locke: The Blueprint Speech Outline Specific Purpose: to inform my audience about the contributions that philosopher John Locke made to American society. Central Idea: The impact of John Locke’s philosophies on the American Constitution and society. Introduction I. Imagine living in a land where the Government took away all of your hard earn money without justification or where the expression of your views and ideas are considered a crime of treason against the government or where you can be accused of a crime and hanged without due process of the law. Can you imagine that? Well for most people these circumstances would signal the end of life. II. The Pursuit of happiness A. How many of us have migrated to America in pursuit of freedom? Whether is freedom of life, liberty or property? Many of us have left our countries behind to pursue happiness and have found that the United States can offer things that are not available in our native countries. B. Because of the ideas of English Philosopher John Locke we can today live in a country full of opportunities. This political and social philosopher of 17th century England influenced the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Framers of the Constitution more than any other. After studying the contributions of John Locke towards American society, I would like to discuss the three central ideas that shaped the United States constitution and the glorification of democracy. Body I. John Locke is the...
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...Government” in Chapter 6. Please respond to the following: John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government were written to defend armed resistance to the English king by English subjects in the years preceding the Whig revolution, the Glorious Revolution of 1689 (as it’s called). Involved in plots, Locke fled from England to Holland in 1683 and stayed there until 1689. The First Treatise is an attack on the theory of absolute monarchy defended by Sir Robert Filmer. The Filmer theory traces the rights of the monarch to the establishment of monarchical power in Adam (the first man of the Bible) by God. This absolute authority to rule then gets passed along down to the present king of England. So the king is answerable only to God and the subjects are obligated to obey the king’s commands come what may, says Filmer. * Explain what, according to Locke, gives a person their right to property. As stated in the textbook, " everyman has a property in his own Person. This nobody has any right to but himself. The labor of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his. Whatsoever then he removes out of the state that nature hath provided, and left it in, he hath mixed his labor with, and joined to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property. It being by him removed from the common state nature placed it in, it hath by this labor something annexed to it, that excludes the common right of other men" (p.209, Halbert and Ingulli, 2009). Labor...
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...Thomas Jefferson. The boundaries of the government and rights of its citizens were crucial during the formation of this constitution since these principles were exactly the reason for the uprising of the original thirteen colonies. Thomas Jefferson dedicated most of his life to the crucial needs of America and its government in order to form a true republic of the people. Like many of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson strengthened his beliefs through personal studies and deep examination of European history. Many history books will tell that the contributing factors that formed Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of the identity of America were linked to events such as the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the British Country party. However, one man’s works continually surfaced in Jefferson’s political and even private writings. John Locke, a British Enlightenment philosopher, was repeatedly referenced in documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Notes on the State of Virginia, and the Summary View of the Rights of British America. Jefferson repeatedly used Locke’s concepts as would even sometimes use the exact same phrases. This would make Thomas Jefferson, the first ever American to plagiarize! The irony in this is that America was just now forming its own personality, one separate from Britain, but the concepts and beliefs that helped form that identity were partly coming from a long dead British man. John Locke’s influence over Thomas Jefferson’s outlook on forming a...
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...period. However, one of these philosophers in particular shaped a founder’s ideas more directly than the rest. Ultimately, John Locke directly and greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson’s political philosophy and agreed with the majority of his beliefs, which can be seen especially in the Declaration of Independence and the fundamental ideas each man emphasizes in his works. While there are a few small differences in their works, they are still so similar that Jefferson has even been accused of plagiarizing parts of Locke’s compositions....
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...Enlightenment, European government began to recognize that politics was greatly affected by the power of public opinion. It was the influence of this time that helped lay the foundations of the modern world in equality and democracy. Historically, governments have relied heavily on the writings of philosophers. As a British political theorist and philosopher, John Locke was one of the most influential thinkers of his time. He witnessed trials in government which led him to believe that people had a right to rebel against an unjust ruler. Two years later, in 1689, Locke published his ideas in the Two Treatises on Government which became the basis for many modern political ideas, but he never publically acknowledge it. Long after his death, Locke’s...
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...and John Locke expressed in Leviathan and Second Treatise of Government. The paper will show the basic differences between the two philosophers views, is Hobbes' distrust of the people and Locke's relatively greater trust of the people and distrust of the government's power and the likelihood of the abuse of that power. Hobbes' view in Leviathan aims at ensuring civil order, which means for him the absolute power of the government, or the Leviathan, which power the people have given him through the social contract. Locke, on the other hand, keeps much more power in the hands of the people through the legislature, which means, in effect, majority rule. Locke was also deeply concerned with maintaining the rights of the people, especially the right to own property. Locke's political view produces a much more democratic system, while Hobbes' produces a much more authoritarian, if not totalitarian, system. Both Locke and Hobbes start their political analysis with reference to the state of nature. However, their definitions of this state of nature stand in stark contrast to one another. The differences on their perception of the state of nature correspond to the final conclusions of what is important in a civil society. The contrasting perceptions of the state of nature on the part of these two philosophers are crucial, because they use those perceptions as the foundations for the political philosophies which they then construct. The only thing Hobbes agrees with in Locke's teaching...
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...Hobbes and John Locke Abstract The Social Contract theory which dominated the European political thought in the eighteen century has played a very important part in the development of the modern political theory and practice. Being the most important of all the speculative theories, it came into being as a result of reaction against the theory of the Divine Origin. This theory was the first to denounce the influence of the church in the state affairs, provided an explanation for the origin of the state and shows the relationship between those who governs and those who are governed. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are the chief exponents of the Contract Theory. Both of them have established their thesis from the beginning of human habitation, though their ideas and opinions are quite distinct. Hobbes in his theory has only described one contract where Locke has described two. Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan” and John Locke’s “Two Treaties on Civil Government” these books are considered as bibles in the evolution of modern states system. Though there are criticisms and debates regarding the social contract theory, but the modern political theories today have evolved from these contract theories which has no doubt. The aim of this assignment is to compare and contrast between Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and explore their contribution in the development of international relations according to the analysis of their works. Introduction Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan and John Locke’s Two Treatises...
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...Business Ethics: A Discourse on Rights: Moral, Legal, and Human Myriad optimistic forecasts, of what comprises the core of business ethics, have permeated numerous discussions on management and commerce practices in the marketplace today. Global economics and trading across borders nearly demands it. In fact, ‘ethics’ in business has come to represent one of the key buzzwords of our decade, along with ‘sustainability’ and the ideological concept of global warming – seemingly shoved down the throats of people. But what is business ethics anyway, and why does it matter? The discourse herein hopefully highlights a cogent and logically based compilation of answers as required from the rubric of Assignments Four. While this paper is written in essay format, for the sake of clarity and precision for the reader, each section shall appropriately and clearly display the topical area or question being addressed. (1) – Define a right, a legal right, a moral right, and a human right explaining how they are related. The philosophical idea of what constitutes a ‘right’ is an age-old concept that many men of God and theorists have confronted from ancient times. One things seems clear. A ‘right’ cannot be discussed without dividing the premise from a ‘privilege.’ According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a right is simply defined as “being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper” as in conduct (“Right,” 2015). Judge Napolitano defined a right as “a gift from God that extends...
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...Copyright law, which mostly deals with the author’s right over a particular work against the general public is said to follow the Lockean theory of Labour which states of natural entitlement to the fruits of labour. This forms the basis of the argument and further criticism in the paper titled: ‘Locke, Labour and Limiting the Author’s Right: A Warning Against a Lockean Approach to Copyright Law’. The author, Carys J. Craig forms a basic contention that the Lockean Approach to Copyright law as such focuses only on the rights of the Author in relation to his/her work, while leaving out the important element of public interest. Following the Labour – Desert theory, which plays prominent role in the Lockean Approach, the author argues that...
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