john locke second treatise on government. locke’s second treatise i.biographical/historical...

John Locke

Second Treatise on Government

Locke’s Second Treatise

I. Biographical/Historical Background

II. State of Nature One

III. Freedom, Liberty, and License

IV. Property and Labor

I. Historical Background

John Locke (1632 – 1704) Enters Oxford in 1651

Studies philosophy, natural history, medicine

Becomes physician and advisor to First Earl of Shaftesbury (big Whig politician)

Reign of Charles II, Charles dies in 1685


Line of succession issue (Catholic vs. Protestant)

Locke – through Shaftesbury – gets implicated in plot to assassinate James

Leaves England for Holland in 1683 Begins to write anonymous political pamphlets,

including the Two Treatises on Government (1689)

I. Historical Background 1688 “Glorious Revolution” in

England Replace the Catholic line from

James with William and Mary (both Protestant)

Locke was an advisor to William while the two of them were in Holland together

In exchange for throne, William & Mary agreed to a more limited, constitutional monarchy

Signed “Toleration Act” which allowed for religious toleration for most faiths (except Catholicism and Unitarianism)


Locke lives out his days on government pension

… without further ado, Locke’s Second Treatise

II. State of Nature 1

Locke begins Chapter 2: “To understand political power right, and derive it

from its original, me must consider what state all men are naturally in…”

What we need to know, then, is the natural condition of mankind


Continuing with the quote from the opening of Chapter 2

“… and that is a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions, and persons as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of Nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.”

What does that mean?


Individuals living in state of nature Also seems we need to know 3 things:

1. Freedom

2. Law of nature

3. Property Rights

III. Freedom, Liberty, License

Two senses of freedom at work here Free from any social bonds, which means

Not dependent on the will of any other people I can do “X” without asking someone else’s approval

to do “X” Bear in mind, he is saying that this freedom is natural;

that we naturally are free from any social constraints or relations

Note: to this point in human history, very few people could be said to enjoy freedom in this sense


But it’s not just any freedom, rather it’s freedom in accord with “the law of nature”

And that law is: “The state of Nature has a law of Nature to

govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions” (chp.2, par 6).


We get 2 arguments to support this view:1. Religious

Each of us is created in God’s image We don’t have the right to destroy ourselves (as we

are God’s creatures), so we can’t have the right to destroy others like us

2. Secular “equal and independent” phrase Moral sympathy and rationality


Summary In state of nature we have freedom, which is life in

accordance with the law of nature Distinction between liberty and license For Locke, liberty is not the right to do everything,

but rather to do anything in accordance with the law of nature


But…How can I be free if I must obey a law?

??

?? ?

??

?Does freedom mean doing anything you want to do?


Drug addict example Do I want to be the kind of person who smokes

crack? Do I want to smoke crack now? Or now? Or.. Only the first person is truly free Freer in that life is more fully an expression of

your own will When following the laws of nature, you are

following the dictates of your own reason and nothing else


In other words, freedom does not mean war… it means peace!

Think of interpersonal interaction … do we need a sovereign to tell us what is right?


So, for Locke, a state of nature is when we are all free, indeed it is a state of perfect freedom

Also a state of equality, since no one is forced to submit to any authority higher than the dictates of her own reason


Chapter 2“A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another: there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank promiscuously born to all the same advantages of Nature, and the use of the same faculties, should also be equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection, unless the Lord and Master of them all, should by any manifest declaration of his will set one above another, and confer on him by an evident and clear appointment an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty.”


For Hobbes, freedom and equality were in large measure responsible for the state of nature being a war of all against all

For Locke, freedom and equality lead to a radically different situation


“Men living together according to reason, without a common superior on Earth, with authority to judge between them, is properly the state of Nature” (chp. 3, par. 19).


Which raises the question of why we would ever leave the state of nature? Why not anarchy?

Do we find any problems lurking in the state of nature????

IV. Property & Labor

Source of Private Property?

IV. Property & Labor

2 Caveats though: no spoilage must leave as good in kind for others to

appropriate that is, after you take your share, there’s still enough

left for others to take their share

V. State of Nature 2

Add money economy Effect on our relations?

Individuals

Wealth

A B C D

Inequality in the State of Nature I

Individuals

Wealth

A B C D

Inequality in the State of Nature I

Rough Equality

(chp. 5,par. 37; par 41)

Individuals

Wealth

A B C D

Inequality in the State of Nature 2

After the introduction of a money economy,inequality becomes much more extreme

Individuals

Wealth

A B C D

Inequality in the State of Nature 2

After the introduction of a money economy,inequality becomes much more extreme

But everyone is better off(chp. 5, par. 47)

VI. Mutual Advantage & the Social Contract

If we have social relations... And we have economic relations... Why do we need political relations? Why won’t people be able to get along? Why do we need politics?

Don’t Cooperate

Don’t Cooperate

Cooperate

Cooperate

Prisoners’ Dilemma

4 , 1

3 , 3 1 , 4

2 , 2

VII. Prisoners’ Dilemma

Symbolic Form: We’re in a Prisoner’s Dilemma situation

whenever:

T > R > P > S

Temptation to defect > Rewards of Cooperation

Rewards > Punishment for Not Cooperating

Punishment > Sucker’s Payoff


Note that even if we start at the cooperative outcome, that outcome is not stable

Each player can improve his/her position by adopting a different strategy 4 = best option (Temptation) 3 = 2nd best option (Reward) 2 = 2nd worst option (Punishment) 1 = worst option (Sucker

Don’t Cooperate

Don’t Cooperate

Cooperate

Cooperate


4 , 1

3 , 3 1 , 4

2 , 2


But since both players have changed strategy we end up at the non-cooperative outcome, where both players are worse off than if they had chosen to cooperate

Don’t Cooperate

Don’t Cooperate

Cooperate

Cooperate


4 , 1

3 , 3 1 , 4

2 , 2


And, as we noted, this non-cooperative outcome is also a Nash equilibrium outcome

Neither player has any incentive to change strategy since whoever changes will do immediately worse by making the move

Don’t Cooperate

Don’t Cooperate

Cooperate

Cooperate


4 , 1

3 , 3 1 , 4

2 , 2

VIII.Mutual Advantage and the Social Contract

Prevent defections and allow for cooperative behavior

What kind of political life? Need to insure that everyone agrees to terms of

contract What sort of terms would arise?

Sovereign

We the People

Sovereign

We the People

Reciprocal Obligations

Sovereign

We the People

The Social ContractBinds the Sovereign andthe People

VIII.Mutual Advantage and the Social Contract

Locke’s Social Contract then includes: Rights to protect us against the government Popular sovereignty Legislative power supreme (rather than the

executive as in a monarchy) Basis for this -- fundamental equality of all human

beings

john locke second treatise on government. locke’s second treatise i.biographical/historical...

Documents

state of nature

government slide

treatise slide

law of nature

rationality slide

labor slide

unitarianism slide

sense slide