ipl-logo

Locke Vs Rousseau Analysis

1092 Words5 Pages

Students and scholars alike are often deceived by the association between Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau as founders of the social contract. Grouping these authors together often causes people to forget the essential variations presented by each man. The issue of liberty, for example, takes on an entirely different meaning when viewed from the eyes of either Locke or Rousseau.
In understanding John Locke 's opinions on liberty in The Second Treatise of Government, it is important to begin with his definition of the idea. Fundamentally, Locke identifies liberty as the ability to do whatever one pleases without ever having to be dependent on another (Locke 2.4:116). However, Locke also recognizes that there are certain logical restrictions on this …show more content…

Under societal liberty, a new government, sovereign, and set of laws seem unnecessary. Locke explains, however, that over time a political society must be created in order for people to retain their freedom. Since men are naturally inclined to seize property (Locke 5.26:127), they eventually require preservation of their property because people "in this state [feel] very unsafe, very insecure" (Locke 9.123:178). Therefore, to reestablish liberty and preserve property, man, in common, agrees to be presided over by a unifying government (Locke 9.124:178). The true brilliance of Locke 's proposition comes in his defense of liberty under this established government. For man only relinquishes two powers - the ability to do whatever one wishes which is now regulated by a legislature (Locke 9.129:180), and the power of punishment which falls under executive authority (Locke 9.130:180). Despite these two forfeitures, each individual is guaranteed the opportunity to "preserve himself his liberty and property" (Locke 9.131:180). Likewise, individuals of the society are granted a consistent interpretation of the otherwise vague laws of nature (Locke 7.89:159). In this way, there is never a tradeoff of liberty for security, but an equal enhancement of …show more content…

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in The Social Contract, although discussing the same topic of liberty, approaches the argument from a different perspective. Freedom, in Rousseau 's mind, is the right to function completely independent of others (Rousseau 1.7:58), and to be the judge and master of his own decisions (Rousseau 1.1:46). Political government is eventually sought to protect liberty because, "there is a point in the development of mankind at which the obstacles to men 's self-preservation...are too great to be overcome by the strength of any one individual" (Rousseau 1.6:54). At this point, individuals come together to form a society in which these obstacles can be overcome (Rousseau 1.6:54). Rousseau argues that, despite the new society and government, liberty is protected in three aspects; the social contract is based on freedom and self-preservation and thus will never contradict itself (Rousseau 1.6:55); nothing is lost in the new establishment, "in giving himself to all...he gains the equivalent of all that he loses, and greater strength for the conservation of what he possesses" (Rousseau 1.6:55). The ultimate goal of government, society, and the individual is the greatest good which consists of "liberty and equality" (Rousseau

Show More
Related

  • How Did John Locke Influence The Constitution Of The United States

    685 Words  | 3 Pages

    Continuing on to the Social Contract, John Locke said, “Thus, when a king, (or president), loses the consent of the governed, a society may remove him.” This indicates that if the government infringes the people’s rights, the people, suitably, can execute the government and replace it. The Second Treatise is fundamental for our government because it places sovereignty into the hands of the people. In the Second Treatise, John Locke touches on essential matters on how a government should be structured and how it can protect its citizens rights. (The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter IV, 1632-1704), addresses our freedom that, “The liberty of man in society is to be under no legislative power,” and that “Nobody can give more power than he has himself.”

    Read More

  • American Colonization And Its Impact On Society From 1200 To 1750

    1498 Words  | 6 Pages

    In response to the British’s intolerable acts during this time people desired a government based on popular sovereignty or the idea that a government's power ultimately comes from the consent of the people. The political treatise "The Social Contract," written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, explores the idea that the people are sovereign and that the legal power of a state arises from the agreement of the governed in order to build a more stable and just society. In this work, Rousseau makes the case that the common good should serve as any society's guiding concept and that the government should be in charge of advancing

    Read More

  • Two Treatises Of The Constitution

    553 Words  | 3 Pages

     Rousseau wrote “ Social Contract.” In his writing he outlined a plan for democracy in which all people would participate and be involved in reducing special interest groups. We put his ideas to use by establishing a representative democracy in which all citizens have the opportunity to vote and have equal representation in the Senate while representation is based upon population in the House of Representatives. Voltaire wrote “ Treatise of Tolerance,” and in it his belief in religion and freedom from government sponsored

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The American Revolution

    1305 Words  | 6 Pages

    It’s been over 200 years since the original thirteen colonies of America fought their revolutionary war against Great Britain, in hopes of achieving their independence. We shall be going through a few areas of the Revolution, such as the military, social hierarchy, the role of men and women during the war, the colonists’ values of equality and their social contract response to the British government’s abuses, and we’ll compare these areas to the present day. The American Revolution started around April of 1775, when British redcoats and American militiamen exchanged gunshots in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. However, that was only the beginning of the fighting; the reasons for the war date from years prior, when resistance from the

    Read More

  • How Did John Locke's Influence On The Declaration Of Independence

    595 Words  | 3 Pages

    Locke had stated that when an executive act for his own benefit, and not to serve the ends of the people. He “degrades himself” and becomes “but a single private person without power,” at which point he no longer has any right to rule over the people. Locke expresses the idea of rebellion against an unjust government. By giving the idea of rebellion, he also reveals that a human’s rights have changed over the years and that a man now has inherent rights. It was because of his declaration that the statement, “give me liberty or give me death,” become popular among the American people.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast John Locke And The Declaration Of Independence

    1002 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Declaration of Independence states, “--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”. In the article Why Government, it states, “But Locke also believed that governments should protect people’s natural rights.” Both of these quotes show that the purpose for creating government, is so that the protection of the natural rights of the people is ensured. Also, the idea that these fair powers are just what Men (human beings) are receiving and what they should receive from the creation of governments. Both of these quotes combine with each other, because of the pinpointed idea of how the government was created in order to benefit to the natural rights of the people, and to protect these

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In John Locke And Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    The questions of the whether social inequality is justified and the extent of government to address said inequality are some of the foundations upon which societies and economies are built. Two key philosophers on this issue – John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau – differ on this subject. In Two Treatises on Government, Locke holds that individuals have a right to property derived from their labor, citizens consent to the existence of inequality in society, and governments are instituted among men to protect said property. In contrast, Rousseau writes in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality and The Social Contract that inequality should be strictly limited and that governments have a duty to act in the best interest of its citizens by maintaining

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Locke And Rousseau

    989 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jean-Jacque Rousseau - Comparisons with the above two philosophers and opinions on the State and Law. Jean Jacques Rousseau is the third philosopher I wish to discuss. He was a French-Geneva philosopher who is widely believed to have influenced the enlightenment in France and Europe. During the French revolution Rousseau was one of the most respected and popular political theorists. Rousseau believed that men in the state of nature were the most natural and free they could be before they were corrupted by the unnatural grips of civilization.

    Read More

  • Locke Vs Tocqueville Analysis

    1084 Words  | 5 Pages

    Locke’s definition of liberty depends on whether the person is in the state of nature, in which people are “without subordination or subjection” (Locke 101) or if they have formed into a commonwealth, or whenever “any number of men are so united into one society, as to quit every one his executive power of the law of nature, and resign it to the public” (Locke 137-38). In the Lockean state of nature, men have a “freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and persons” (Locke 101). This freedom is still limited by what Locke refers to as the law of nature, or that “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions” (Locke 102). He also defines the liberty of the state of nature as “not to be under any will or legislative authority of man” (Locke 109). In his form of commonwealth, there is more limited freedom, in which liberty is to “be under no legislative power, but that established, by the consent of the commonwealth” (Locke 110).

    Read More

  • John Locke State Of Nature Essay

    1104 Words  | 5 Pages

    25). Locke’s state of nature demonstrates a state which entails perfect freedom and the right to one’s own actions and possessions (Locke 2 sect. 4). He then

    Read More

  • How Did Locke's Ideas Lead To The American Revolution Dbq

    375 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the 16th to 18th century, countries in Europe were experiencing new ideas and reforms. Philosophers like Locke believed in social equality. They have discussed the purpose of a government and spread their ideas. Locke’s ideas led to the revolution in France, who didn’t have rights under absolute monarch’s control. After the French gained their rights, people in Haiti started to fight because they wanted to have the same rights that French gained during the reform.

    Read More

  • Rousseau Vs Thomas Paine Essay

    1232 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thomas Paine essentially wrote Common Sense for the common man. Being a pamphlet, its structure and simplicity made reading easy for those who were literate. Its minimalism enabled citizens in the colonies to unite under one common cause — independence against Britain. He was inspired by both John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government as well as Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Hobbes Locke And Rousseau

    1740 Words  | 7 Pages

    Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau have become known as three of the most prominent political theorists in the world today. Their philosophies and innovative thinking is known worldwide and it has influenced the creation of numerous new governments. All three thinkers agree on the idea of a social contract but their opinions differ on how the social contract is established and implemented within each society. These philosophers state, that in order for the social contract to be successful people need to give up certain freedoms in order to secure fundamental protections from the state, henceforth the state then has certain responsibilities to their citizens. Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau all believe that before men were governed we all lived in a state of nature.

    Read More

  • Rousseau: Why People Live In An Enlightened Age

    224 Words  | 1 Pages

    Rousseau began his Social Contract with the revolutionary idea “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chain” meaning that men are born free in their natural state but everywhere they go laws of government are restricting them from freedom. Which anger the people and made them question whether they actually live in an Enlightened age. “This danger is not so great, for by falling a few times they would finally learn to walk alone.” (Immanuel) He states that when people of the Enlightenment Age disobeyed laws, they were punished until they learn to “walk alone” or live by the laws set out for them.

    Read More

  • Jean Jacques Rousseau Research Paper

    1613 Words  | 7 Pages

    This perception of government is nothing but a social liberal view of what the government is and should be, ‘mutual communication…preservation of liberty, both civil and political.’ Thus social liberals like Rousseau realize that certain higher goods such as freedom and equal contribution in political activities, freedom from alienation is needed to preserve society and the general will of the

    Read More

More about Locke Vs Rousseau Analysis

Open Document