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John Locke Influence On Government Essay

863 Words4 Pages

“The only task of the government is the protection of private property because private property is a guarantee of individual freedom.” John Locke was an English Philosopher who lived through the early 1600s and was an essential individual that created the idea concerning “Life, Liberty, and Estate.” The ideas of the Founders’ about government were greatly influenced by Locke’s writings, particularly our Declaration of Independence. 1ST PARAGRAPH - What did Locke think would happen without government? A State of Nature is a society without government or laws. Locke believed when men became overpopulated enough to the point where land becomes scarce, then men needed law beyond the natural law. The natural law, although valid, was not always kept.The transgressor, who defies the natural law, can be punished by all men. Civil society starts when, for the betterment of the people, a few …show more content…

These rights are the rights to life, liberty, and estate. Everybody needs these rights, even people who are malevolent. By figuring out what life would be like in a state of nature, Locke was able to figure out what the government needs to fulfill in order to protect those rights which would not be protected with the state of nature. Even when were were still English colonies, we wanted the King to protect our rights. The government provides and strives to keep us safe and protect our rights whilst also benefiting the rest of the country. Locke states in his: an essay concerning the true original, extent and end of civil government, “Which is done by agreeing with other men to join and unite into a community for their comfortable, safe, and peaceable living one amongst another, in a secure enjoyment of their properties, and a greater security against any that are not of it.” Locke believed government was formed when people unite together to help protect their rights to “estate, life, and

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