Locke, Second Treatise of Government Reflection: Social Sciences Essay
Write about anything you feel like reflecting on concerning the readings BUT make sure to satisfy the requirements on the rubric.
Also, just to clarify some terms employed in the rubric: a "reference" to the text entails DIRECT quotes or SPECIFIC mention of a passage or line (or for very general ideas, Books / Chapters - though simply doing this will not earn you full credit) in the text accompanied by the appropriate footnote/endnote.
In other words, quote well (appropriately and relevantly - not at random!) and often! Make sure
Reflections Rubric:
9-10 points You included a brief consideration of
current policy debates and how it
relates to the subject at hand, and all
that is below.
7-8 points You included a brief consideration of
contemporary philosophical debates on
the subject, used concrete examples,
and all that is below.
5-6 points You incorporated a thoughtful analysis
of the issues at hand (as detailed in our
lectures and readings) and referred to
the relevant text, and all that is below.
3-4 points You addressed the reflection
assignment in some fashion, and all that
is below.
1-2 point You have a pulse and turned something
in.
(please quote directly from Lockean Liberalism books!)
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Locke, Second Treatise of Government Reflection
Locke's Second Treatise of Government posits that people have equal natural rights in the state of nature where they live freely. According to him, the state of nature has perfect freedom and equality, and the law of nature admonishes infringing on the other person's rights. Locke states that "don't harm another in his life, liberty, health, or possessions" (P. 6), believing that it is wrong to forbid other people's natural rights. These rights to life and liberty are "inalienable" (cf. P. 23), hence cannot be transferred from one person to the next. In addition to the rights to life, liberty, and property, humans have a right to punish offenders of the law (P. 124-126). Locke also argues that man has a right to life and their bodies (P. 27); however, it would not be possible to stay alive without the right to food. Locke encourages the legitimization of food and land for individual use (P. 26 & P. 28).
Locke's political ideas from the Two Treatises of Government have relevance in current policy debates. For instance, the recent coronavirus pandemic has brought political debates questioning the meaning of liberty, especially after governments decided to lockdown states. Locke, when talking about freedom, argued that fair laws serve to preserve and enhance independence. Meaning that though man has the right to liberty, they cannot necessarily do as they please so long as they belong to a well-ordered state (P. 125). According to Haji-Michael (2020), such a state has the right to restrict people from harming others by placing measures such as travel bans. According to Locke, laws that prevent harming yourself or others do not infringe on an individual's liberty nor restrict one's freedom.
Current debates on the infringement or disrespect of individual liberty by racial or gender privileges could be tackled using Locke's works that deem all men equal since they were all created b...