John_Locke

John Locke In 1690, philosopher John Locke wrote a “very strange doctrine” (272), which was the first introduction of natural rights and the “Equality of Mankind” (143) He openly challenges the accepted beliefs “That all government is absolute monarchy (and) that no man is born free.” Locke breaks up his ideas into a few areas including the state of nature, the creation and purpose of government, the purpose of family, and the importance of property. Locke centers his strange doctrine on the concept that “We are born into freedom but not in freedom.” as a result of human nature. Locke asserts that “all men are naturally in … a state of perfect freedom.” (269), which means that we are created equally free but never actually experience this equally free state. Nobody therefore maintains any natural power or influence over anyone else. With this freedom however, comes certain responsibilities and duties, which are discussed later in this paper in regard to the first society in which we live; the family. Locke concedes that it is human nature for an individual to push their own freedom at the expense of someone else. These people that place themselves above others are labeled as “criminals” by locke, john, property, happiness, because, government, liberty, life, free, pursuit, individuals, freedom, without, good, society, purpose, people, own, live, law, jefferson, family, born, work, state, rights, one, natural, men, man, human, first, example, consent, argues, therefore