The Proper Basis for Society: John Locke ( )

Transcription

1 The Proper Basis for Society: John Locke ( ) Why John Locke? His influence on political and philosophical ideas of the Second Europe. His idea of the contract fired the imagination like Newton s theory of gravitation.

2 Life Born in 1632 to Puritan family. Grew up in atmosphere of revolution. After taking degree at Oxford stayed as a don. In 1667 became physician to Shaftesbury. Political life thereafter. Fled abroad Returned in 1689 with William III and Mary after Glorious Revolution 0f 1688.

3 Life In published 3 works which made him famous: Letter on Toleration Two Treatises on Government Essay on Human Understanding. In 1693 published Concerning Education. In 1695, The Reasonableness of Christianity. Received political appointments

4 Questions 1. A little known sidelight to Locke's career is that as physician he supervised an operation on his patron to remove a cyst on the liver. The patient lived for another 15 years. 2. Locke's theory about the child being the center and purpose of education? 3. "The works of nature in every part of them sufficiently evidence a Deity." True?

5 Questions 4. Another aspect of Locke's career was his being a shareholder of the Royal Africa Company which had a monopoly of the British slave trade. I'm interested not just in your reaction to this, but also in whether you think we can judge people of the past by current standards of right and wrong. Some of us seem to think so. If you do, what are the arguments for doing so?

6 Background to Second Treatise Natural Law. Derived from medieval and Stoic sources. Natural Rights are part of Natural Law. Jefferson s preamble to the Declaration How would society have been originally constituted? Contract-free act of the will.

7 Second Treatise on Government The work written to justify the Glorious Revolution of The First Treatise was intended to demolish Divine Right theory as the basis for the state. What is political power? The state comes into being as result of a contract.

8 Locke was not the first to use a contract theory. Thomas Hobbes ( ). In Hobbes the state of nature is the state of war. Locke was more optimistic. As Locke and Hobbes differed on the state of nature, so did their views about the contract and human rights. Hobbes view.

9 Locke s view about why men created society: An established and published Law A judiciary An executive The beginning of society. The concept of property in Locke: anything that is a man s own.

10 Questions Natural rights include the right to resist any arbitrary action by the state. The Right to Revolution. "The ruling body if it offends against natural law must be deposed." Whether divided equally or unequally, property is hallowed, the foundation of the natural order: The supreme power cannot take from any man part of his property without his consent.

11 Questions 1. Right to revolution? That sounds terrorist. Your arguments for or against? 2. Property as a natural right? How fundamental is this right? Do freedom and property rights go together? 3. Was Locke as a shareholder in the Royal Africa Company being cynical when he spoke of the rights to life, liberty and property? 4. What would Locke have said about Kelo vs New London?

12 Questions 4. Contrast Locke's theory of the theoretical basis for the state with the theory of modern radical Islamists who posit God (Allah) as the true basis for society. And what are the implications of the latter theory for natural rights of life, liberty and property?

13 The Declaration again: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. The significance of these ideas for the Second Europe.