Of civil government: The second treatise

 Introduction

 In the ‘Two Treaties of Government,' John Locke (a political philosopher) introduces the concept of ‘state of nature' and argues that human beings have perfect freedom and equality and there is no relationship between superior/ inferior in the ‘state of nature.' The natural law or the law of nature existed prior to political institutions and, the role of the institutions or the government is to protect the natural rights. Human beings have the right to resist (right to revolution) the government that fails to protect their rights. The role of the government is to secure the rights of human beings, but if the government subverts the law and exercise absolute power that violates the fundament natural law, people have the right to displace the legislative and replace it new provisional government.

The central concept that defends the ideas of government revolution or the replacement or the government is the theory of natural law.  The latter proclaims that all people are entitled to natural rights and natural rights are universal and inalienable (Second Treaties, chapter 2, §4). Focusing on political powers; it is essential to understand the state of perfect freedom as it guides on understanding the state of equality, the state of liberty, the importance of mutual love and, justice and charity.  Locke states that "No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions…" (Second Treaties, chapter 2, §6). When  making the political power, it is also important to understand that the  state of nature  is governed  by  a law  which put  emphases  that all  people are  equal and  nobody  should  harm another or invade  other rights.  In other words, all people are called to observe the law of nature and   the government has the right to punish the lawbreakers.  An important point to understand is that in the state of nature, individuals try to maintain the state of perfect equality and to eliminate the superiority or the process of using power over another in the state of nature.  Men often focus on maintaining mutual security, preserving mankind   and securing themselves from   injury and violence through destroying all noxious things and in the process they commit evil acts.  In this case, the role of the legislative authority to make laws concerning the state of nature and to restrain the violence of men (Second Treaties, chapter 2, §8). Rather than allowing men to be judges in their cases, the civil government   creates laws that guide people on the right and the wrong.  However, since the   governors of the  independent  communities  are in the state of nature,  all people  should have  a mutual  agreement to create  one body politic  and  they have the consent to   be members of the political society.  However, if the  civil government  fails  to  maintain peace  in the state of  nature  and  to protect the natural rights of  human beings,  then end results is the state of war (Second Treaties, chapter 2, §13).

The failure of civil government to protect the natural rights leads to enmity and destruction which creates a state of war.  It is important to understand that the state or war occurs through words or actions or when individual uses an absolute power and makes another a slave (Second Treaties, chapter 3, §16). In other words, individuals  who governs the  state of nature puts  others under  the unmitigated power  and  denies  them the opportunity to  enjoy the perfect freedom and equality. To put it clearly,  if   people  creates a government   that would   protect their rights and  support them in  enjoying the liberty and property,  and then the government fail to   do  so, the people have the  right  to destroy the  government   since it   violates the  fundamental law of nature.  Locke states that "for nobody can desire to have me in his absolute power" slave (Second Treaties, chapter 3, §17).  When the absolute  monarchies  restricts  the  freedom of the people and puts them under their absolute  powers and makes them slaves without their consent,  the people have  the right to  resist the government. If the government uses a tyranny execute power to benefit themselves, it creates conflicts and turmoil and hinders people from obeying it.  Since the role of arbitrary power is to control everything without using a rule, people creates rebellion in trying to defend their natural rights.  In other words, the right to revolution is justifiable since by dissolving the tyrannical rule, people will   reform the legislative   and re-create a civil state slave (Second Treaties, chapter 3, §19).  since people  created a mutual agreement and consented to  create a government that would control the state of nature and more  importantly  secure their rights, the government  is expected to follow the will of the majority  and  failure to do  that, the  government   should be  overthrown. In order to understand  what gives  someone an obligation to obey the law, it is  important to know that  a  government  that is   created by people to protect the state  of nature should be legitimate and legitimacy  means that it has the right to  enact laws  and enforce them slave (Second Treaties, chapter 3, §19).  Also, the people have the right to obey the laws but for them to obey the law, the government should   protect the natural rights and enjoy the people's consent.  The   point is that failure of the government to fulfill these two conditions will result to violation of natural rights and people   will have no right to obey it. 

 

 In relating the role of the government in the state of nature and the paternal power, Locke states that parents and especially the father have the right to command or to have an  absolute dominion over their children and, the  children have the role of obeying their parents slave (Second Treaties, chapter 5, §52). However, the paternal power also belongs to the mother since she is a parent but the point is that men or the fathers hold absolute power and presents their fatherhood as a central authority. This means that men will tend to create a single person government the same way the government would develop an absolute monarchy when chosen to control the state of nature. Even though some factors such as age make some people superior to others, the state of nature sticks to the law that all people are equal and have equal rights in  exercising the natural freedom.  Locke states that “What made him free of the law?...to have liberty… and possession according to his own will"(Second Treaties, chapter 5, §59). The point that there should be a law of reason that would allow people to understand the purpose of the law, how to exercise freedom and more importantly toward doing what is right. However, if people recognize that the governing law is restrictive or limiting, they may opt to abolish it and replace it with laws that meet their interests. The purpose of the law is not to confine people's freedom, but the law guides people toward making the right decisions without any interference from others and the absolute power.  The government should not exercise power beyond the set principles or standards, but it should rely upon the consent of the majority. The role of the political power is to make laws such as laws on the death penalty, preserve the property and, enforce the community to adhere to the laws for the public goods (Second Treaties, chapter 5, §63).  In other words, the political power should focus on the public good and follow the order of the political society to avoid creating the state of war.  However, if the sovereignty holding power violates the law of nature that  "all men are equal and naturally free," people have the right to punish anyone who transgresses the law, and in this case, the government evolution is justifiable.

 

 

 I agree with Locke's explanations concerning the justification of the government revolution.  This is because, the state of nature provides men with freedom, equality and other inalienable rights.  However, all people in the state of nature act as the judges of their own cases and the role of the government is to enter in and control the state of nature through protecting the inalienable rights.  People derive basic rights from the law of nature and everyone has the individual self-preservation and the executive of power. Even though the right to enjoy the natural right is applicable to everyone, it is important to protect other people from being injured and killed and, thanks to the government as it fulfills this role. However, if the government uses an absolute power or if it becomes repressive toward the natural rights, the right to revolution is justifiable (Second Treaties, chapter 2, §6).  For example, if the government owns and controls a community's natural resources such as land, people may be deprived the right to property, and they have right to overthrow the government.  Another example is the Russian revolution of 1917- people overthrew the imperial government due to corruption. The common people experienced poor living conditions, they were freedoms such as the right to vote, and for this reason, and they demanded liberalization and created a government resistant with an intent of making a new democratic government.  Thus, if the government does not protect the natural rights or if it uses the arbitrary power, the right to revolution is justifiable.

 

 Conclusion

  Human beings who are entitled to enjoy the natural rights have the right to overthrow a tyrannical government and replace it with a more democratic government.  All human beings are naturally free, and the role of the government is to protect the right to life, right to liberty, right to property and any other inalienable right.  Governmental laws are important in controlling the state of nature and preserving the natural rights since, without law, people would use their personal power to judge their own cases.  Thus, people in the society have the role in electing officials who would protect their rights and they also have a supreme power to overthrow them when they use abuse of power and fail to meet the public needs.  Overall, if the government attempts to enslave people, the citizens have the right to rebellion and revolution is justifiable. 

 

 

 

 Reference

 

Locke, J. (2008). Of civil government: The second treatise. Rockville, Md.: Wildside Press.