Locke's Views of Human Nature and Property

Student`s Name: Professor`s Name: Course Title: Date: Locke`s Views of Human Nature and Property Human nature can be defined as any person`s perception of important human characteristics. In terms of human thoughts and behavior, fundamental norms are natural. John Locke, a consummate advocate of empiricism, did not see human nature in such a manner. Instead, he preferred a less straightforward argument. Nonetheless, his premises about human nature are still quite clear through his political analysis, ‘Two Treatises of Government` of 1960. John Locke`s perspective of basic human nature centers on the idea that human beings were created by God as social beings. He saw humans as intrinsically ‘good`, and believed that people were born with inherent rights i.e. liberty, life and land. His belief is that human beings consent to a General Will, and they concur on surrendering some of their rights, although not the natural ones, with the purpose of living in a stable and safe nation. Locke had a feeling that humans were intelligent enough to vote for government officers. According to him, the people are strong enough such that they can disregard the officials in case they disappoint them. He stood for a ‘constitutional monarchy` where a swayer was essentially a mere representative of the General Will. Locke depended on a conception of God as the maker of man, consequently making human beings property of God. This form of equalitarianism under God makes humans free by nature to pursue liberty, life, property and health as natural rights. Locke believed that natural rights are the rights that human beings possess in the natural state prior to the political society. The law of nature, which Locke asserts comes to a man through reason, says that humankind should not harm fellow humans in their health, life, possessions or liberty and in turn wait for their own rights to valued. The individualism advocated by Locke is focused on a natural human disposition to search for self-preservation, even as it contravenes the natural law. In other words, in an emergency state of affairs where there is a serious danger the life of a human being due to hunger, the natural law which says that a man should not to hurt his neighbor in health, life, possession or liberty becomes less important due to the actuality that the man is lacking basic resources. Such situations arise in the natural state, thus governments are formed to guard natural rights. Locke`s perspective of human nature is clear and easy to identify wi...