John Locke's Two Treaties Of Government

John Locke is among the philosophers who contributed a lot of ideas on politics and how the government runs. Locke alongside other philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes examined the state of nature, a philosophical model, in understanding human nature. He offered a complete version of how the government should be run in Two Treaties of Government. Furthermore, Locke describes the state of nature as an ideal state of freedom (Locke and Hay 106). He follows the natural law tradition which argues that human beings have a moral sense that bars them from participating in some actions.
State of Nature
In the state of nature, Locke speaks of the natural instincts of human beings as a way of defining political power. He describes the state of nature
He suggests that natural laws normally demand that punishment fit the crime. On the same note, an individual in a state of nature can rectify any crime to prevent or dissuade the offender from repeating it. He concludes by suggesting that everybody is in a state of nature until an agreement is drawn between them to make them members of a political society (Locke and Hay
The definition of war by Locke is a state of enmity and destruction (Locke and Hay 112). The second part, how war is initiated is in Locke's mind the most. He suggests that declaring intent by word or action is what initiates the state of war. He declares that it is morally right and permissible to kill someone who tries to create a state of war. For instance, it is reasonable to murder a robber because the attack on one's property represents a threat to his or her liberty (Locke and Hay 113). Here, the robber has created a state of war, therefore exposed to being killed.
In the state of war, Locke argues that people design force on others without a common authority (Locke and Hay 112). In such a scenario, the party that faces the attack has the right to war. Locke suggests that anyone who is threatened to be destroyed has a right to cause destruction to the other party. Furthermore, anyone who tries to get another individual into his absolute power puts himself in a state of war with the individual. He points out that such people who want to force others into their absolute powers without their consent may use them as they please and finally destroy them (Locke and Hay