John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government and Jean-Jacques...

The Enlightenment was an astonishing time of transformation in Europe. During this time in the eighteenth century there was a progressive movement that was labeled by its criticism of the normal religious, social, and political perceptions. A number of significant thinkers, with new philosophies, had inspired creativeness and change. These thinkers had many different thoughts and views on people and the way they act, and views on the government. Two well-known and most influential thinkers of this time were the English political philosopher John Locke and the French political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. These two men had laid down some of the intellectual grounds of the modern day government and both had different opinions on†¦show more content†¦The common legislative and executive power is focused towards peace, safety, and the public good. This government Locke describes is then based on popular consent. The legislature is the ultimate power in the state becau se the people are in accord with it through the social contract and put their trust in the government. The government is restricted by the very nature of the social contract, which is basically a constitution. Neither the legislature nor the king can act arbitrarily against the constitution and are required to act within the constitutional limits. The government is to be responsible to the people, and it must honor the terms of the social contract that gives them power, terms that require it to protect life, liberty and property. Also, the government is a representative government and it is the people who are to judge whether their representatives in the legislature and their executive act in agreement with their trust. Revolution is the people’s last defense if the government becomes tyrannical and violates the social contract. The people will raise this right of revolution only when the government’s defilement of its trust is clear to a majority of the people, i t persists, and when all other constitutional efforts to amend complaints have been tried and failed. Locke has been both praised and condemned as the father of liberal democracy. His followers maintain that liberalShow MoreRelatedModern Liberalism and Political Policies1337 Words   |  6 PagesModern Liberalism Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophies and theories each differ from one another’s, but these three philosophers have all staked their claims as to what man would be like, prior to the formation of the state. This is the State of Nature. Their notions on the social contract reflect their position on the political spectrum. These three philosophers also examine the purpose and function of the government to individuals of the state. Modern liberalismRead MoreImpact Of Enlightenment Ideas On The French Revolution844 Words   |  4 Pagesreligion. France had one of the bloodiest Enlightenment periods in history because they used the ideas of John Lockes Natural Rights, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract, and Voltaire (Franà §ois-Marie Arouet) teaching of Freedom of Speech and morphed it into the French Revolution. In 1762, a Francophone Genevan philosopher and writer, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, wrote a book called, â€Å"Social Contract†. In his book, he wrote about an official agreement signed by the leader in which they would shareRead MorePolitical Theory: Property1369 Words   |  6 Pagesproperty ownership is credited to relatively modern philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. The writings of Locke and Rousseau on property ownership are quite fascinating to compare. Both philosophers portray the early stages of man in what they refer to as the State of Nature. This paper takes a critical look at Rousseau’s conceptualization of private property and the state in relation to Locke’s works on the subject. Origins of Property in the State of Nature According toRead MoreJohn Locke And Rousseau s Impact On Western Political Development1593 Words   |  7 Pagesthan John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Locke and Rousseau, at the core of their arguments, believed that mankind creates a social contract within society. However, Rousseau and Locke differ in their exact view of the social contract, but both agree that some individual rights must be sacrificed for the good of mankind, and that before there was society man lived in a state of nature. Their different interpretations of these two points largely describes the differences between the two men,Read MoreJean Jacques Rousseau And The Declaration Of Independence Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesJean-Jacques Rousseau was an Enlightenment thinker during the eighteenth century and is most noted for his work The Social Contract. The Social Contract published in 1762 and is a philosophical document that expresses the ideas of popular sovereignty. Popular Sovereignty is a form of g overnment in which â€Å"the doctrine that sovereign power is vested in the people and that those chosen to govern, as trustees of such power, must exercise it in conformity with the general will.† This is basically a fancyRead MoreJohn Locke And Jean Jacques Rousseau967 Words   |  4 Pagesinstead be created. Thus the concept of a ‘Social Contract’ was formed by philosophers as a means to better understand why individuals would come together to form a society. Two philosophers, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, give their respective opinions on what is the role and purpose of a â€Å"Social Contact’ in their works the â€Å"Second Treatise on Government† and â€Å"Of the Social Contract†. When defining the social contract in the â€Å"Second Treatise on Government†, Locke begins by addressing the stateRead MoreEnlightened Philosophers (John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau)1495 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were all enlightenment philosophers. Each of these men had a particular view of government, society, and its citizens and they were all passionate about their works. Locke (1632- 1704) was an English philosopher, his ideas had a great impact on the development of political philosophy and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential enlightenment thinkers. Montesquieu (1689- 1755) believed that all things were made up ofRead MoreEssay on John Lockes Second Treatise on Civil Government1360 Words   |  6 Pages Lockes The Second Treatise of Civil Government: The Significance of Reason nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The significance of reason is discussed both in John Lockes, The Second Treatise of Civil Government, and in Jean-Jacques Rousseaus, Emile. However, the definitions that both authors give to the word â€Å"reason† vary significantly. I will now attempt to compare the different meanings that each man considered to be the accurate definition of reason. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John Locke believedRead MoreEssay on The Natural Ways of Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau1207 Words   |  5 Pageshuman nature, but rather a plethora of concepts surrounding the idea. With the rise of capitalism, social structure is reformed; it is during this rise in the early seventeenth and eighteenth century, that John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau introduce their varying opinions surrounding man in nature. The western philosophers mainly concern themselves with the concept of the social contract. Rousseau, Hobbes, and Locke begin with the conception of the individual, because in the naturalRead MoreThe Writings Of John Locke And Jean Jacques Rousseau1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe writings of John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau have had a significant impact on the controversy of what constitutes legitimate political power. They both believe in man’s natural mortality, and they also state that creating a social contract and legitimat e government is necessary to avoid conflict. Both philosophers hold different perspectives and opinions, however they are both concerned with the same question: What renders exercises of a political power legitimate? Rousseau and Locke have