Many points from "Two Treatises of Government" appeared in and influenced the U.S. Constitution. This piece of work by John Locke served as one of the underpinnings for the U.S. Constitution. "Two Treatises of Government" was written in 1690 and had a tremendous influence upon the founding fathers.
In this, John Locke clearly explains the need for a limiting government. In the U.S. Constitution, this situation is resolved by having a checks and balances type of government where everyone branch can veto one another. This also is a key role in the need for a democracy where the people rule and the vote is a powerful resource for the common man. Locke also brings out the fact that the role property plays in maintaining liberty is as well tremendous. Therefore, after the construction of the U.S. Constitution, every man was given a piece of land to start their life.
Out of the two treatises, the first one is not viewed with as much importance as the second because it was just more of a refutation of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha which stated that biblical support was needed for a solid government. John Locke declares that God is to be on the side of limited government.
The most powerful arguments that Locke discusses are delivered in the second treatise. They are derived from the idea that men are born with natural rights. The rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness", John Locke said, "Life, Liberty and Property." Locke argues that property naturally arises as a means for man to obtain his necessities to live. Property is obtained by the amount of labor a man is willing to put in. So wealth is created by the amount of energy a human will put into work which also means that one can spend their whole life working to obtain wealth and manage property. Therefore, the right to expend an individual's store of wealth is intimately tied up with liberty. John Locke knew that a government that was going to take money away from the people was not going to work out. This was the primary reason the Founding Fathers jumped on the idea of the Revolutionary War. They understood that taxes imposed without the consent of the governed people were a grave imposition to their liberty and a precedent that could not be tolerated.
"Life, Liberty and Property", said by John Locke, are all indeed natural rights intertwined and mutually dependent. The loss of any one, means the effective loss of the other two.
In this, John Locke clearly explains the need for a limiting government. In the U.S. Constitution, this situation is resolved by having a checks and balances type of government where everyone branch can veto one another. This also is a key role in the need for a democracy where the people rule and the vote is a powerful resource for the common man. Locke also brings out the fact that the role property plays in maintaining liberty is as well tremendous. Therefore, after the construction of the U.S. Constitution, every man was given a piece of land to start their life.
Out of the two treatises, the first one is not viewed with as much importance as the second because it was just more of a refutation of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha which stated that biblical support was needed for a solid government. John Locke declares that God is to be on the side of limited government.
"Life, Liberty and Property", said by John Locke, are all indeed natural rights intertwined and mutually dependent. The loss of any one, means the effective loss of the other two.