John Locke Essay

John Lockes Second Treatise of Government has been, and continues to be, a foundation in Western semipolitical philosophy. The theory of disposal activity he presents in this particular document that presidency is based on the sovereignty of the people has been overwhelmingly influential since its publication in 1690.Before spillage further, however, it is necessary to understand the events from which the Second Treatise stems. As stated, this document was published in 1690, and it was done so anonymously. twain years prior to the publication, the highly unpopular King James II of England had been deposed with no bloodshed any(prenominal) and replaced by King William III and his wife, Queen Mary, who was a daughter of the deposed king. This event was known to history as the Glorious Revolution.Yet, when it occurred, Locke was non residing in England. However, he did arrive at ties to the party that oversaw the Glorious Revolution the Whigs. As a result of this relations hip, Locke sought to justify the ascension of King William. Though the Second Treatise was written to justify the enemy that occurred to King Charles II, it was published to justify the Glorious Revolution.Lockes Second Treatise begins with the premise that society is do up of free and equal individuals, all of whom are endowed with natural rights. He goes on to state that these selfsame(prenominal) individuals will want to acquire possession, and most likely will engage in conflicts with one another. Therefore, he suggests that the natural law of morality be utilized to govern them.One major(ip) presumption made by Locke is the fact that, for a society to best protect itself and its property, the individuals within that society moldiness pith together and form a body politic, in which they agree to adhere to certain standards of behavior. To accomplish this, they must give up some of their natural rights. As history has since demonstrated, the giving up of natural rights has no t always been met with a good response, as in the case of the the Statesn Civil War, where states rights was a major underlying cause.Within this civil society, the people must submit what they consider to be natural freedoms to the mutual law of that society. In return, they receive the protection of their government. An executive power i.e. president is given the authority to give the laws of the government, punishing any that break those laws. However, should the power held by the executive or other officials within the government fail to live up to their responsibilities, the people have the right and the responsibility to rebel against that government. Once they have rebelled against it, if they are successful in removing it, they must replace it with one that will abide by the laws adjust up for the smooth running of their society.It is this last concept that proves to be the crux of Lockes document. It was what served as his demand to write the Second Treatise. He wante d the British to understand they had the right to replace one government with another. It would be this concept that would serve as one of the underlying philosophies that would inspire revolutions in both America and France, as well as the documents on which America was founded on the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.The motley ideas presented in the Second Treatise limited government based on natural rights and human dignity, unlimited ad hominem property based on those same natural rights are what make this document a marvellously constructed argument against the concept of absolutism. Thus, it remains a most influential work within the realm of political philosophy, and within history in general.