John Locke is one of the renowned political philosophies. During his lifetime, he published various works such as “Two Tracts on Government” that dwells on political and societal issues that were taking place at the time. In his book “Two Treatises of Government,” Locke expresses his ideas about ownership and creation of property, state of nature and the law of nature among others. In particular, Locke dictates a lot of time in criticizing the idea of monarchical government whereby an individual has absolute powers over others. He recommends the establishment of another form of government that is more inclusive.
Summary of Book I
Book I begins by acknowledging the relevance of ‘Two Treaties of Government’ in political liberalism. It highlights some of the issues that are addressed in the book such as natural rights of human beings, the ability of the people to control the powers of their government and to replace those leaders who violate their rights. Also, Locke’s book is described as an essential tool that played a critical role in America, Spanish and French revolution. However, almost all of the ideas expressed in this book have been a source of controversy and criticism from other scholars. One of the most controversial yet important of Locke’s ideas is the theory of property. Locke attributes the origin of property to a state of nature whereby all men were free and equal. They subscribed to the law of nature which was based on self-preservation and respecting others. Under the law of nature, all human being have the right to own property without interference from others. They are also expected to respect the rights of others to own property. He farther describes property as that which a person can exploit from nature. However, this exploitation is limited in that it should not jeopardize the ability of other people to create property.
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Furthermore, this property should not be excessive such that it has to spoil. According to him, the excess that perishes belongs to another person and an individual does not have a right to own it. Locke offers two arguments that relate to property. First, ownership of property revolves around natural rights whereby an individual has the right to possess that which he/she has labored. Second, property ownership is meant to ensure productivity. A person has to exploit natural resources such as land to acquire individual property. For instance, the land is a property that is owned socially. However, the products that are generated from exploiting that land through agriculture are personal possessions. The latter part of Book I deals with the analysis of Locke’s ideas by other scholars. These scholars agree with Locke on some ideas and criticize others. In some instances, they try to explain or provide insight to some of the concepts offered by Locke that are unclear. Some scholars have also attempted to determine the implications of implementing the ideas that Locke has suggested in modern society.
Summary of Book II
In the first chapter, Locke criticizes the arguments of Robert Filmer who defends the monarchical government. He argues that this absolute authority should not be attributed to ‘Adam’s private ownership and paternal jurisdiction.’ According to him, the existence of a monarchical government breeds rebellion and instability. He recommends the formation of a different form f government that is acceptable by all. Locke explains the idea of ‘by nature all human beings are equal and free’ in chapter two. According to him, all human beings are born with a fundamental right such that none is a master of the other and nobody was meant to serve the other. Therefore, each has the freedom to govern his/her actions and property.
Additionally, he justifies the existence of a state of nature by offering three arguments. First, he argues that no human being was created as a servant to the other. Therefore, any individual who makes another one his/her slave is wrong. Second, people have a right to exercise the law of nature as a mechanism of defending themselves and also punishing those who are harming others. Lastly, Locke argues that an individual who violates another person’s right to preservation trespasses against God’s property. In chapter three, Locke criticizes Thomas Hobbes’ arguments that a state of nature would be lawless. According to him, having a political state does not guarantee peace or order. If a leader acts unjustly towards his people, they will rebel against his/her authority leading to war or instability. These rights that people will be seeking for are the ones guaranteed under the state of nature.
Chapter five offers insight about the right to property and ownership. Locke argues that property and the earth, in particular, belongs to the whole of humankind. However, he adds that an individual has a right over what he has worked for by exploiting nature. This exploitation is limited in that one should not accumulate so much to himself such that others are left with none. Additionally, one should not accrue to the extent that some of it has to perish. In chapter seven, Locke identifies the reason why human beings opted for a political state instead of the former state of nature. He acknowledges the existence of difficulty in that every individual had a right to exercise private judgment over others. It, therefore, became necessary to appoint an overall individual who would be more suited to execute the law of nature leading to the formation of civil society. Locke offers an explanation of a political state in chapter eight. He defines it as an agreement between the people and their rulers. According to him, subscription to a political society does not mean the people have given up the rights they enjoyed under the state of nature to their leader. This transition is intended to offer more security to their rights, liberty, and property. In chapter nine, Lock argues that the creation of a political society is a strategy by the state of nature to address the weaknesses that were affecting it. He identifies these challenges as lack of common law, the existence of subjectivity in how people made their decisions and the possibility of retaliation from those who were punished. As a result, the state of nature transitioned to the political state to promote the common good and to secure its property.
In conclusion, both Book I and II represent the ideas which John Locke had about politics and society. Each of the chapters is dedicated to a particular topic even if each of them is related to the other. One of the main arguments that come up in both books is the concept of the state of nature whereby all people are equal under the law of nature. Locke also provides the essence of transition to a political society from a state of nature by arguing that this transition is a way of securing individual rights and property. Another concept that is critical throughout Locke’s work is property creation and ownership. Ownership is guaranteed if an individual acquires property by laboring for it. However, this exploitation has its limitation that ensures the wellbeing of others and also prevents wastage.
