John Locke - Philosophize This!
Philosophy, Philosophy, 2019
- Founding fathers of America used his philosophy to constrcut the constitution
- Two Treatise of government were was where he indicated his political philosophy
- Second one was the one that affect the founding fathers
- He was responding to Robert Filmer
- Robert Filmer used christian theology to back his claim of a natural state of monarchy in the world ~ patriarchalism
- Where man was appointed by the lord himself to rule over all the constituents of the world
- Born unfree children under the dominion of the lord
- Locke firmly opposed this view of patriarchalism propelled by Filmer
- We are born helpless; we need the guidance of our parents, therefore we are not born free
- Locke opposed this by stating what we are born free but just are unable to exercise it at birth/childhood
- Give an example:
- We are born unable to exercise our rational at birth, would they concede to say that we are therefore born irrational beings.
- For the correct stance is that we are born rational beings, however we are just unable to express it
- Lockes says Filmer has misinterpreted the Bible
- And that we should not use the Bible as a source of political guidance, instead we should use or rational, because then we don’t have to worry about misunderstandings.
- Using reason we can deduce universal truths
- Who’s own ur body
- Most people feel self owned; sense of autonomy that accompanies it
- That we can make decisions for our self; we are not slaves to someone else
- We have a life given to us; and we have the liberty to control that life
- Locke believes that you are entitled to property; you are entitled to the fruits of your labor
- When we use our liberty to work hard; we deserve the results it yields
- If we are forced to use the resources of the world, who owns those resources?
- More importantly, who controls them?
- Some methods of managing the resources:
- Assign a group of people to oversee these resources; They are assign to distribute the resources of the world with equity
- Free for All; take and use these resources at liberty
- Not consistent with human nature/reality; humans want more
- Lockes solution is that you have a natural right to the fruits of your labor
- Allows people who want to work hard and live better achieve desired results
- Government exists to protect your natural rights of life, liberty and property
- It follows then that if the government isn’t doing its job, the citizens can overthrow it
- Locke was a British empiricist
- Dismisses the presence the innate ideas
- Born with a tabula rasa ~ blank slate
- Heavy emphasis on education
- 9 parts out of 10 of what makes someone what they are is derived from their education