The Political Theory of John Locke
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This study will discuss and analyze the political theory of John Locke, focusing on how he attempted to strike a balance between a government that would avoid the problems of the state of nature and yet would infringe only minimally upon people's natural liberties. Locke was only partially successful in striking this balance because of his emphasis on the centrality of private property. Locke did not simply mean material property in this regard, but life itself. However, practically speaking, Locke's writings clearly mean to set up a government which will protect the material possessions of individuals. Certainly his relatively democratic ideal government gives the people greater protection and security for their lives and property than they had in the state of nature, but the powers and rights they retain under the civil government are inevitably concentrated in the hands of those with property, or with the most property. The right to own property is the right most cherished by Locke: "The great and chief end . . . of men uniting into commonwealths, and putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property; to which in the state of nature there are many things wanting" (Locke 70). Therefore, the government and the power of the people to shape and change that government are determined most by that property-owning group whose possessions Locke was most concerned with protecting. To Locke, individuals in a society willingly surrender some of their nat
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perly his" (Locke 20). Locke is more concerned with preventing social or political instability and conflict, which he sees as a threat to private property, than he is with ensuring the kind of political equality or freedom held by human beings in the state of nature or in a pure form of democracy. Locke tries to rationalize inequality with belabored analyses of the people's rights and especially their right to change the government and the legislature, but only in the most extreme circumstances do the people truly have the right to change that government significantly. Considering that political power determines the nature and policy of the government, and considering that political power in Locke's society flows from economic power and private property, clearly those with most of that power will decide when or if that government will be changed. Effectively, the rich control society and the government, and they will not allow radical change as long as their property is protected.
Locke had a greater trust of the people than did Hobbes, for example, and a greater distrust of the government and its tendency to abuse its power. Locke keeps much more power in the hands of the people through the legislature, which means, in effect,
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Approximate Word count = 1634
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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