Two Treatises on Government

Two Treatises on Government was written by John Locke. John Locke was an
English philosopher and writer. In this book, he argued that man has the
natural rights of life, liberty and property. This was a very influential book of
the time which was widely read across Europe and the Americas. One of the
most important aspects of this work was that Locke believed that the people
had a right to rebel against an ineffective ruler. Basically, if the government
was not doing their job, the people had the right to replace them.

Two Treatises of Government were published in 1689, one year after the Glorious
Revolution.

The Glorious Revolution overthrew King James II. King James II built up military
forces and allowed the soldiers to abuse innocent people. He also alienated members
of the Anglican church and dissolved parliament in 1685 when they objected to his
methods of consolidating power. During the Enlightenment, people no longer
tolerated an absolutist king who thought God gave them the “divine right” to rule. In
1688, the people rose up against King James II to overthrow him and put his
Protestant daughter, Mary II, and her husband on the throne. During the
Enlightenment, people no longer tolerated an absolutist king who thought God gave
them the “divine right” to rule. In 1688, the people rose up against King James II to
overthrow him and put his Protestant daughter, Mary II, and her husband on the
throne.

The Second Treatise of Government shifted away from focusing on Patriarcha and
more towards exploring the themes of natural rights and how government should
preserve harmony and peace.

The State of Nature

Locke believed that humanity could either be in the state of nature or the state of war.
In the state of nature, there's no need to exert their power over others because people
choose peace and harmony. In a state of war, people exert power over each other and
cause chaos. By choosing to exist in the state of nature, humanity can avoid war and
promote each other's natural rights.

Locke argues that humans are born free from the laws of men and should instead
follow the laws of God. Because of this, the world is not lawless, but rather can be
made to benefit all through structures and governance. Humans are all equally
children of God and have natural, intrinsic rights. As such, they cannot be enslaved or
imprisoned by other men.

Locke's Contrast with Thomas Hobbes

Similar to Locke, he believed in Social Contract theory and that government should
rule with the consent of the governed. However, he differed in his view of humanity.
He believed that humanity was inherently bad and thus government was necessary to
enforce rules and maintain order.

Natural Rights

Two Treatises talked about the idea of “natural rights.” “Natural rights” are rights that
are given to everyone simply by virtue of being human. No one can take these rights
away, no matter who they are or what they do.

Right to Property
Property was extremely important during this time period. For centuries, only nobles
and aristocrats were allowed to own property. Commoners often had to work very
hard on the land, but since they didn’t own it, their money was often going to the
noble who owned the land. Because of this, Locke talked about people having
the right to own their own labor as a form of property.

Locke also talked about how each person’s body belongs to them. When someone
uses their own body to create a good, they should have the right to benefit from that
good.

If a farmer plants seeds and grows crops, they should be able to benefit from that
work either through being able to eat the food or through compensation and wages.
Right to Rebellion
While Locke supported the idea of having a government and strong leaders to
maintain order, he felt that the monarchy in England had become corrupt and abusive.
If a government is not acting in harmony or in the best interest of the people it is
meant to protect, then the people have the right to rebel against that government. The
right and obligation to remove tyrants and abusive rulers from power is critical so that
corrupt rulers don’t enslave humanity and shift them back into a state of war.

Government's Role in the State of Nature

Locke acknowledged that if we view people’s own bodies and work as their own
property, things can quickly get messy. For example, if someone builds a house and
there are multiple people working on it or providing ownership, who “owns” it?
Locke concluded that government is needed to maintain order and create laws that
would help clarify ownership to protect property. Without stability, conflicts about
property will become violent and lead to war. Thus, government is necessary for
setting laws to maintain order and peace in the state of nature.
Locke was concerned about governments growing too powerful and abusive. He
supported a separated government that had separate branches that helped keep each
other in check.

Lastly, in the state of nature, because humanity is overall good, government should
exist in order to help provide benefits to all, rather than punishing people or forcing
them into submission.

Government's Role in the State of Nature

Locke acknowledged that if we view people’s own bodies and work as their own
property, things can quickly get messy. For example, if someone builds a house and
there are multiple people working on it or providing ownership, who “owns” it?
Locke concluded that government is needed to maintain order and create laws that
would help clarify ownership to protect property. Without stability, conflicts about
property will become violent and lead to war. Thus, government is necessary for
setting laws to maintain order and peace in the state of nature.
Locke was concerned about governments growing too powerful and abusive. He
supported a separated government that had separate branches that helped keep each
other in check.
The American Revolution started in 1775, almost one hundred years after the Two
Treatises of Government were published. During that time, Locke's ideas traveled to
France, and then eventually to the American colonies.

Abusive Monarchies and the Social Contract

Many of the issues that Locke wrote about with abusive monarchs and tyrants were
still happening in the 18th century, but this time, it was the American colonies that
were bearing the brunt rather than the British people. The complaints from the
colonies about stiff taxes without even being able to vote or have representation in
parliament reflected the idea that England was violating its social contract with the
colonies.

Natural Rights Violations

The colonists felt their natural rights, especially the right to property and ownership of
their own work, were being violated as well. When writing the Declaration of
Independence, Thomas Jefferson specifically referenced the natural rights they
believed were being violated, saying:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Right to Rebellion

Locke supported rebellions when rulers were becoming abusive and violating the
people’s natural rights. Some colonists argued that they should remain loyal and
obedient to British rule, much in the same way that Filmer argued that the divine right
of kings should make everyone loyal to the crown in Patriarcha. Others used Locke's
ideas to show that rebellion was acceptable and necessary in certain situations.

Branches of Government
One key feature of the US Government that aligns with Locke’s writings is the idea of

a branched government. Locke believed that a branched government prevented one

person or group from becoming too powerful, similar to a monarch. The Founding

Fathers felt similarly and thus created a system of checks and balances to help keep

government from becoming too powerful or tyrannical. Two Treatises of

 Locke wrote Two Treatises of Government in 1689, during the Glorious

 The Two Treatises explore his ideas around civil life and the role of
government.

 He believed humans are inherently good and that government should

 Locke's ideas around natural rights, the social contract, separation of

 For Locke, property is not just related to a piece of land, but also comes
into existence when human labor is mixed with something in nature to
produce something.

 Locke argued that the citizenry has a right to rebellion when the rulers
become abusive towards the citizenry, breaking the social contract.

 Unlike Locke, thomas Hobbes thought the state of nature was a violent
and unpleasent place.