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John Locke State Of Nature Essay

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In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Locke focuses on the definition and function of property in chapter four. Locke wants to argue that man can attain private property in several ways (Socrates 6 sect. 25). Locke believed that there are two arguments for the acquisition of private property in a state of nature. First the labor-mixing argument and the value-adding argument (Locke 7 sect. 27). His argument states that if one mixes one’s labor with unknown land or resources, one then owns the unowned land or resources (Locke 7 sect. 27). However, this statement is not entirely true, if one mixes what one owns with what one does not own, it does not create self-ownership. Locke’s state of nature is then tainted and no longer includes equality and commonality among mankind.

Locke repeats himself often in his arguments. He refers to his belief of natural reason and God’s words to deliver his theory of private property. He begins his discussion of property in the state of nature (Locke 6 sect. 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 …show more content…

In this state of nature, money, trade, and regulations are absent. Man then mixes the labor from his body with the work of his hands and obtains private property ( Locke 7 sect. 27). This mix of labor with common resources created Locke’s theory of self-ownership. Locke uses the argument that taking resources out of their natural state, makes them no longer common, but private property (Locke 7 sect. 27). This argument can be read as meaning that natural resources have little or no value until mixed with labor and or consumed. However, this contradicts Locke’s ‘state of nature’, where men possess the freedom and right to their actions without the consent of others (Locke 2 sect.

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