“Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of [his] estate, [or] subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.” These are the famous words of John Locke, one of the most intellectual philosophers that helped shape our society to the grand nation it is today. In this unit, we studied numerous philosophers who had different views on how a society should be run and its motivations toward success. Justice, fear, love, and other factors were important for many thinkers such as Socrates and Hobbes, but the wise words of John Locke have significantly impacted the United States of America as a whole as well as individuals living within different societies. It is John Locke whose ideas left the most powerful legacy amongst all the other philosophers.
In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke summarizes his views on government. He enforces the belief of natural law, which states that all men are equal and this is the right that is bestowed upon them from birth. They are not oppressed by any other man and can legally do whatever they need to do to have a better life- even if this means to start a new government. He also argues that individuals would agree to form a state that would protect the lives, liberty, and property of those who lived within it. This social contract theory differed greatly from Thomas Hobbes, who wanted absolute authority and force in order to dictate the lives of the citizens and later create a stronger nation. It is evident that John Locke’s natural views are much more personable and optimistic because he defends that the government is formed by the citizens’ and favors the citizens’ wants and needs rather than not allowing their input in a society. John Locke’s theory of natural rights was used when creating the United States of America when the founding fathers was writing the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In fact, part of Locke’s words were used in these pieces, proving how influential his views truly are on a society. If it were not for John Locke’s social contract theory being adopted by America, then our nation would not be as free and smoothly-running as it is today.
Aside from John Locke’s political philosophy shaping our nation today, Locke’s views also had an impact on my own personal life socially and culturally. While growing up in a commonwealth based on the foundation of the greater good of the people, I believe I am very comfortable in my society and there is never a time where I fear that the government will steer me in the wrong direction or take away my basic rights as a person. Compared to a dictatorship or anarchy in other countries, my social life is much more liberal and I have the gift of freedom to do whatever I want as long as I am not endangering myself or breaking the laws that have been in place and not changed since I was born. I have a wide knowledge of how the government is structured, and I understand the consequences that could occur if I disregard these laws. If I grew up under a strict dictatorship where the government is not appointed by the citizens, I would have much more fear for I have no say in how my nation is run and my freedom would certainly be limited. Also, at any given moment, the leader could change the nation completely for the worse without the consent of its people. John Locke has impacted my life because if it were not for his political philosophy of natural laws and the happiness of the majority of the people, my world would be detrimentally different and I would not have as many opportunities open for me to be able to live a happy and free life as I do now.
This unit helped me to understand the foundation of our society through the ideas of philosophers, thinkers, and rhetoricians. The wise words of the rhetors that were studied (Plato, Cicero, Machiavelli, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and Dekanawidah) struck a chord in my mind because I found it astonishing that these intelligent men could create such a powerful nation through their arguments. After delving into the readings of these writers, I have a much larger world view that is continuing to expand as this class progresses. Using the rhetorical skills that were learned in unit one, I felt that tackling these tedious pieces were much easier and I was able to use each device in order to help me understand the content. As the year progresses, I feel that my ability to rhetorically analyze a piece will continue to help me gain more knowledge.
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