John Locke's Impact On Government And Political Philosophy

John Locke's Enlightenment ideas had a significant impact on the formation of American government and political philosophy. This can be seen through the incorporation of his concepts of natural rights, social contract, limited government, right of revolution, and popular sovereignty in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: while these ideas were revolutionary in the 18th century, their effectiveness in shaping the United States government and protecting individual rights is open to critique.

John Locke was an ardent believer in the “natural rights,” rights that everyone was born with and are entitled to as humans. The fundamental rights he inscribed in his various works, such as Two Treatises of Government, were the rights to

The social contract was Locke's belief that individuals give up some of their rights to a government or authority in return for the protection of their natural rights. The state serves the will of the people and protects them from themselves, the people willingly give up their authority in order for a higher government to judge. John Locke’s idea is reflected in the Constitution's system of checks and balances and the Bill of Rights, which limit the power of the government and protect individual rights. Checks and balances are visible in Articles 1 through 3, and set up the powers of the three separate government branches. The Bill of Rights enshrined the basic rights of every US citizen, and there were 10 original amendments that were based on major fears at the time. This system keeps basic order in the United States, and it is the basic foundation for all else there is. Critics argue that the social contract is not equally applied to all members of society, as historically marginalized groups, such as women and people of color, have been excluded from the full benefits of the contract. Many also criticize the violations of privacy with mass surveillance, the Patriot Act, torture and prisoner abuse, and even military interventions without popular support (such as in Vietnam, Iraq 2003, Afganistan, and Latin America.). According to John Locke in his Two Treatise of Government “the people generally ill treated, and contrary to right, will be ready upon any occasion to ease themselves of a burden that sits heavy upon them.”, this quote ties into Thomas Jefferson once saying “when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty,” meaning that people should take it upon themselves to rebel, when their government violates their rights, and therefore, the social