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Examining the idea that all humans are born with certain rights that no government can take away.
Imagine you are stranded on a deserted island with a group of strangers. Who owns the fruit on the trees? Do you have a right to protect yourself? Who gives anyone the authority to tell you what to do?
Before there were kings, presidents, or police, there was the State of Nature. This is a hypothetical time when humans lived with no government at all. While some philosophers thought this would be a nightmare, John Locke believed it was a place of equality. He argued that every human is born with Natural Rights—rights that come from nature or God, not from a government. Because these rights are part of being human, they are inalienable, meaning they cannot be taken away. Locke identified three core rights: Life (the right to survive), Liberty (the right to be free), and Property (the right to own the fruits of your labor).
Quick Check
According to Locke, where do our natural rights come from?
Answer
They come from nature or God, meaning we are born with them; they are not granted by a government.
To understand Locke, we must look at his rival, Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes had a pessimistic view of humanity. He believed that without a strong king to keep order, life would be 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' In Hobbes' view, people are naturally selfish and violent. Locke, however, had an optimistic view. He believed humans are naturally rational and capable of following a moral law. While Hobbes argued we need an absolute ruler to save us from ourselves, Locke argued we only need a government to protect the rights we already have.
Imagine a playground with no teachers or rules. 1. The Hobbesian View: The biggest kids would immediately start stealing toys and bullying others. Total chaos ensues. 2. The Lockean View: Most kids would eventually agree on a turn-taking system for the swings because they are rational and want to play safely.
Quick Check
Which philosopher believed that humans were naturally 'brutish' and needed a strong king?
Answer
Thomas Hobbes.
If the State of Nature is mostly okay, why have a government at all? Locke says we join society to solve 'inconveniences,' like protecting our property from the few people who don't follow the rules. This agreement is the Social Contract. We give up a tiny bit of our total freedom in exchange for the government's protection. Crucially, this power is based on the Consent of the Governed. If a government stops protecting our rights—or starts violating them—the contract is broken. In that case, Locke argued that the people have a right to revolt and start a new government.
Think of the Social Contract like a gym membership: 1. You agree to follow the gym's rules and pay a fee (giving up some liberty/property). 2. In exchange, the gym provides equipment and a safe environment (protection of rights). 3. If the gym takes your money but locks the doors or lets the equipment break, they have broken the contract. You then have the right to leave and find a better gym.
Consider three survivors on an island: 1. Person A builds a hut from fallen branches. According to Locke, this is their property because they mixed their labor with the wood. 2. Person B claims the only freshwater spring on the island and refuses to let anyone else drink. 3. The Challenge: Does Person B have a right to the spring? Locke would say no, because they didn't 'mix labor' with the water, and they are violating the 'proviso' by not leaving 'enough and as good' for Persons A and C to survive (violating their Right to Life).
Which of the following did Locke NOT list as a primary natural right?
What happens if a government violates the Social Contract according to Locke?
Locke believed that in the 'State of Nature,' humans would be in a constant state of war with one another.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain the 'Social Contract' to a friend using the gym membership or playground analogy.
Practice Activity
Look up the US Declaration of Independence. Can you find the section where Thomas Jefferson borrowed Locke's ideas about natural rights and the right to change the government?