John Locke
By God’s giving Adam dominion over the creatures, by the subjection of Eve, and by Adam”s natural paternal rights over his children Locke weaves a well supported treatise on equality, property and Government. A part of Locke”s strategy is to drive wedges between the possession and inheritance of property, and the transfer of paternal (parental) authority and political authority. For example, the right of children to inherit their parents” property stems from their natural right to sustenance by their parents, a right which cannot be supposed to embrace either patriarchal authority or political power. Thus we have a right to life, liberty and property above all other things. This then leads to the equality of all men being that we are born with the same inalienalble rights and an equal facility of reason. As it said at the founding of our country that, “All men are created equal,” and these ideas of equality became the basis for our democracy.The acquisition and protection of property is the primary aspect of human beings which his treatise revolves upon. Possessions are aquired in a state of nature with an act of appropiation, labor, which results in the harvesting of things which are naturally available to all
In terms of our democracy as it was founded it seems as if much of the teachings OF Locke were taken to heart. Foremost is that all men are created equal and the belief that we can do anything we want. That there are freedoms that all men are born to is a given. These inalienable freedoms are life, liberty, and the pursuit of property. Locke goves strong credit to the necessity of a strong judiciary to hear grievances and regulate all aspects of society. He stresses the importance of a legislature to restrict a singular sovereign if there is any. However, are founding fathers slipped around the ideas of restricted rights of masters by only outlawing the international slave trade but not slavery. The obfuscated views of equality for women were ignored. Lastly, he affirms the necessity for a capitalist economic system where money is used as a tool and not a resource. He successfully identifies the aspects of trade that are desireable and helps lead to the fiscal policy of the early country that helped it grow so readily. Equality and egalitarianism are tricky subjects. Aristotle defined the world in terms of physical reality and potentiality. Locke sees that there is an equal potential in all humans. HE does not say that we grow into equals, nut that we all start off at the same place. He may believe that women are weaker but he cannot deny the fact that they are born as equals and in a state of nature are as equal as any man. Nevertheless, before the conventional use of money, no one would have either motive or right to produce more than they could use or exchange before it spoils. To take something from the common store and let it spoil is against natural law. Prior to the introduction of money, economic equality was imposed on mankind both by reason and the barter system. Men were largely confined to the satisfaction of their needs and conveniences. Most of the necessities of life are easily used up or spoiled -- fruit, meat, fish and so forth. Thus, to increase the total output of humanity and use specialization and labor to create things not necessarily nee
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Approximate Word count = 1413
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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