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Revision as of 18:06, 29 May 2017
John Locke's Two Treatises of Government
by Milap Patel
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Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Section 1: Background
Background on John Locke
Research bibliography and his major works. May create another page for this and link it to this page.
What are Two Treatises of Government
John Locke wrote the two treaties of government in correspondence to the Glorious Revolution which took place in 1688. His intention for writing the treatises were to justify William the third's ascension to the throne. With John Locke being part of a radical group, far left of the political spectrum during those times, his two treatises of government tried to justify and preserve the hereditary succession of the monarchy. The treatises also tried to explain king Williams possession of authority as he ascended the throne.
[1]
[2]
[3]
Peter Laslett, however, suggests that this was the case. He denies the fact that Glorious Revolution influenced the writing of the treatises. According to Laslett, the treatises begin forming far before the revolution. It is speculated that the treatises started being written during the Exclusion Crisis, a crisis in an attempt to exclude Charles II’s brother James, a Roman Catholic, from succeeding to the throne, 10 years prior to the revolution.
[4]
[5]
Analysis of Two Treatises of Government
The two treatises of government consist two parts of what John Locke considers his whole work. The first treatise looks at Sir Robert Filmer’s Patriarcha which focuses on the natural power of the king. The second treatise looks at Locke's proposed solution to the political upheaval in England with possible solutions for a better government.
[6]
The First Treatise
In the first treatise, John Locke argues that Filmer cannot be correct because his theory implies that every man is born a slave to the natural born kings. According to John Locke, "slavery is a vile and miserable an estate of man," which he states at the start of his first treatise. As Locke puts it, he believes in reason and in the ability of every man to virtuously govern himself according to God’s law. As such he is against the idea of patriarchalism.
[7]
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Filmer says that the Biblical Adam, in his role as father, possessed unlimited power over his children and his authority passed down through the generations. Filmer also says that Adam's absolute authority came from his ownership of the world. Locke, however, dispels this notion arguing that the world was originally held in common. He says that God's grant to Adam covered only the land and brute animals, not human beings. As such, Locke says that Adam and his heir could not leverage this grant to enslave mankind. The law of nature forbids reducing one's fellows to a state of desperation, if one possesses a sufficient surplus to maintain oneself securely
[9].
Locke further argues that the divine right of kings may end up being the downfall of all governments. As he puts it, if Filmer is correct, then there should only be one rightful king in all the world, which being Adam's heir. This, however, will be impossible to discover, meaning that no government, under Filmer's principles, can require its members to obey the god appointed rulers. Locke, therefore, suggests that men are duty-bound to obey their present rulers instead.
[10].
Locke ends his first treatise stating that there is no evidence to support Filmer's hypothesis. Locke says that no king has ever claimed that his authority rested upon him being the heir of Adam as he compares the history in the bible against the world's history.
[11].
Second Treatise
The second treatise focuses on civil aspects of the government. The treatise itself is divided up into a short preface followed by nineteen chapters. The main idea of this treatise focuses on making the point that the government is a deal between the people who are governed and the people who are doing the governing. The people who are governing had certain obligations to provide the people with benefits while the people being governed had to bare certain responsibilities towards government.
It's Impacts on Europe
American Revolution
Discuss how two treatises of government resulted in the revolution.
French Revolution
Discuss how two treaties of government resulted in this revolution.
Section 2: Deliverable
Undecided but thinking of analyzing how the formation of American government was impacted by this philosophy. (particularly constitution)
or
Do the same for French and compare American and French governments.
or
Do a video talk through of its impacts on government in general.
Conclusion
References
Attribution of Work
External Links
Image Gallery
- ↑ Ashcraft, R. (1986). Revolutionary Politics and Locke's Two Treatises of Government. Princeton: Princeton University Press., pp. 572
- ↑ Laslett, P. (1956). The English Revolution and Locke's 'Two Treatises of Government' The Cambridge Historical Journal, 12(1), 43. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/3021052
- ↑ Thomas, D. (1962). The Political Philosophy of John Locke. Philosophy, 37(141), 260. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/3748443
- ↑ Davies, H. A., & Baker, P. S. (n.d.). English literature. Retrieved May 28, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-Restoration#ref308400
- ↑ Thomas, D. (1962). The Political Philosophy of John Locke. Philosophy, 37(141), 260. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/3748443
- ↑ Thomas, D. (1962). The Political Philosophy of John Locke. Philosophy, 37(141), 260-262. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/3748443
- ↑ Rowen, H. (1956). A Second Thought on Locke's First Treatise. Journal of the History of Ideas, 17(1), 130-132. doi:10.2307/2707691
- ↑ LOCKE, J., & Shapiro, I. (2003). Two Treatises of Government: And a Letter Concerning Toleration. Yale University Press., pp.1, 35
- ↑ LOCKE, J., & Shapiro, I. (2003). Two Treatises of Government: And a Letter Concerning Toleration. Yale University Press., pp. 15-21, 45-48
- ↑ LOCKE, J., & Shapiro, I. (2003). Two Treatises of Government: And a Letter Concerning Toleration. Yale University Press., pp. 65, 81-91
- ↑ LOCKE, J., & Shapiro, I. (2003). Two Treatises of Government: And a Letter Concerning Toleration. Yale University Press., pp. 85, 91