Locke

Slides on John Locke's Social Contract Theory for an undergraduate course in Political Thought that I taught between 2003-2005.

1. John Locke’s Treatise John Locke’s Treatise
on Governmenton Government

2. OverviewOverview
 ?
WhowasJohnLocke
 ’
WhatwasLockesviewofmanin
?
thestateofnature

Whatwasthesocialcontract
?
accordingtoLocke
 ’
WhatwereLockesideas
?
concerninggovernment

3. John Locke (1632-1704)John Locke (1632-1704)

PhysicianandPoliticalPhilosopher

AffiliatedwiththeWhigparty

Wroteinreactiontotherevolutions

followingCromwellianEngland
 :
Famousworks

EssayConcerningHuman
Understanding

TwoTreatisesofCivilGovernment

4. Human NatureHuman Nature
 3 :
Menpossess naturalrights
1.
Therighttolife
2.
Therighttolibertyand
equality
3.
Therighttoownthefruitsof
( )
theirlabor Property

5. The State of NatureThe State of Nature
 ,
Inthestateofnaturemenenjoy
.
absoluteliberty

Thereexistsanunderlying

“naturallaw”thatensuresmen

canenjoythisliberty
..
iethatmanoughtnottoharmhis

fellowsortheirproperty

6. The State of Nature The State of Nature (again)(again)
 ,
Thusmenjudgeforthemselves

howtousetheirownrights
 ,
Naturallythismeansthatmencan

comeintoconflict
 , ’
Undersuchconditionsmens

naturalrightsendupabused

Hencepropertiesarenotsecure

7. Civil SocietyCivil Society

Societyarisesbecausemenseek

toleavethestateofnature
 ,
Todosotheysurrendertheir
( )
freedoms rights toapowerthat

willpreservetheirproperty

Thatpowerisalsochargedwith

punishingoffensesagainstrights

8. Civil Society Civil Society (cont’d)(cont’d)

Civilsocietyisapoliticalsociety

Thesurrenderingoffreedomstoa

higherpoweroffersthepolitical
character

Therighttohavethelawsofcivil

societyenforcedprovidesthecivil
character

9. Civil Society Civil Society (yikes!)(yikes!)

Civilsocietyisasocietyoflaws

Lawsenhancehumanfreedom

andpreserveproperty

Thebiasisthattheselawsmust
’
preserveasmuchofmansnatural
.
freedomaspossible

Thecreationofcivilsocietyisthe

natureofthesocialcontract

10. Social ContractSocial Contract

Thesocialcontractcreatesa

commonwealthforthepeople

Establishmentoflaws

Designationofasupremepower
 ,
Byvirtueofthecontract

“majoritywins”

Thecontractentails
consent

11. CommonwealthCommonwealth

Mensurrendertheirfreedomsto

enjoythemmoresecurely
 ,
Hencethecommonwealthis

chargedwiththepreservationof

propertythroughlaws

Thuslegislativepowermustbe

supremeinthecommonwealth

12. Limitations Limitations

Lawsmustalwaysbedirected

towardsthecommongood

Thelegislaturecanonlyoperate

accordingtostandinglawsand

authorizedofficials
 ,
Nobody

noteventherulers
,
is
.
abovethelaw

13. Limitations Limitations (more)(more)

Thelegislaturemaynotdeprivea

personofpropertywithout
/
hisherconsent
 -
Principleofnondelegationof
powers

Separationbetweenlegislative

andexecutivefunctions

14. ““People Power”People Power”
 ( .)
Legislativepower etc isonly

fiduciarypowerforspecificends

Peoplestillpossessthepowerto

removeoralterthelegislature

Abusiverulerscommandno

allegianceovertheirsubjects