Summary Of The Second Treatise Of Government By John Locke
In The Second Treatise of Government, Locke asserts that humans are born with a natural right to life, liberty and property. He further explains that these individuals are bound morally to respect the rights of every member of that society. Yet he acknowledges advances in society, which impair such state to exist. Locke believes that not all members of the state of nature will respect those rights and further emphasizes the need to create a social contract, which protects these rights. For the only reason a state, or government is established is to protect themselves from anyone who chooses to act immorally consequently preventing them from preserving their natural rights. For Locke, the most important of these rights is the right to property.
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Locke highlights that the supreme power in a political society is the legislative power, he emphasizes the fact that the people have the “supreme power to remove or alter the legislative, when they find the legislative act contrary to the trust reposed in them” (Second Treatise, chapter 13, §149). The legislative cannot, therefore, make the citizens do something they do not want to do, especially if it violated their natural rights, due to the fact that this was the sole purpose for the formation of government in the first place. For example, by asking citizens to surrender their land for the city’s subway, the government is taking away a citizen right to property. Locke specifically addresses this by stating, “the supreme power cannot take from any man part of his property without his own consent” (Second Treatise, chapter 11, §138). Since the foundation of the legislative is based on its original responsibility to protect the natural rights which all people are born with, in attempting to strip the citizens of these rights, the legislative is acting against their duty. Therefore, the power of the legislature must be taken away, and “the power devolves into the hands of those that gave it, who may place it anew where they shall think best for their safety and security” (Second Treatise, chapter 13,
Locke highlights that the supreme power in a political society is the legislative power, he emphasizes the fact that the people have the “supreme power to remove or alter the legislative, when they find the legislative act contrary to the trust reposed in them” (Second Treatise, chapter 13, §149). The legislative cannot, therefore, make the citizens do something they do not want to do, especially if it violated their natural rights, due to the fact that this was the sole purpose for the formation of government in the first place. For example, by asking citizens to surrender their land for the city’s subway, the government is taking away a citizen right to property. Locke specifically addresses this by stating, “the supreme power cannot take from any man part of his property without his own consent” (Second Treatise, chapter 11, §138). Since the foundation of the legislative is based on its original responsibility to protect the natural rights which all people are born with, in attempting to strip the citizens of these rights, the legislative is acting against their duty. Therefore, the power of the legislature must be taken away, and “the power devolves into the hands of those that gave it, who may place it anew where they shall think best for their safety and security” (Second Treatise, chapter 13,