POLI 271 Locke and Rousseau

Most Important event in Lockes life

The Glorious Revolution

Locke was known as the father of ________

Liberalism

What are the 2 Tenets of Liberalism

1. Belief in the primacy of individuals

   1. The rights of individuals are the most important thing

2. The duty of the government is to protect your pre-political rights

What is Lockes theoretical question

‘If government is not put in place by God, then where does it derive its authority?’

• What makes it legitimate  

  • consent

Locke on the State of Nature

1. Perfect freedom

2. State of moral equality

4 Clauses

1. Golden Rule 

• Cant destroy yourself or others

1. State of Liberty but not a state of licence 

• Freedom to do what you want but must have permission of authority

1. Must follow Law of Nature

• Moral Reasoning

• Obliges everyone, cant harm ones health, liberty, or possessions

1. You can punish transgressors 

• someone has to execute the rule of the government

Why do we have a Government?

To protect our property

What is property 

Life, Liberty, and estate

How do you come to have Private Property? Is ther a limit?

Property is “Labor of body and work of your hands” mixed with natural resources

The limit of property spoilage

• You can not acquire more than the amount that is being used and enjoye

How does money change things? 

1. Breaks the bonds of spoilage 

• Allows accumulation by consent 

1. Introduced material inequality because money is not perishable 

What is the foundation of a government?

Consent

2 Types of Consent

1. Expressed/Explicit Consent 

• Ex: Voting for a representative 

1. Tacit consent 

• Ex: Using cross walks 

What makes government legitimate?

human consent

Can we withdraw our consent? When?

Yes, you can withdraw your consent only when the government violates the authority you consented to. 

• There are serious consequences 

Property and duties of the Government

• To protect our property 

• Withhold rule of law because we are bias towards our cases and there is no enforcement of the law 

Limits of the Government: (Government Authority) 

1. The government cant act arbitrarily 

2. Has to use known standing laws

3. Cant take property 

4. Cant transfer power 

Can only be taxed through our consent

The Government can be dissolved once the Legislative Branch is altered. What is REEFE? (what does this look like) 

R = Laws are Replaced by decrees 

E = Executive branch prevents the legislative branch from meeting 

E = The mode of Elections have been altered 

F = If you’ve been delivered to a Foreign power 

E = If the laws are not Executed 

The Government can be dissolved is it has moved beyond its trust. What does this look like?

• Builds roads on peoples property 

• If the executive branch corrupts the legislature  

What if the people don’t agree?

The final judge is God and Heaven.

• Delma = You don’t face god till you die 

Should people be able to dissolve their Government? 

Dissolve the government  → means to rebel against the government (Locke says this is a basic right) 

• Must be a reason behind a rebellion → Cant just rebel for the sake of it 

• Must be “A long train of abuses”

  • Clear violation of rights 

• When you rebel you must do it in order to get a better government 

• Must asses if its worth the risk of violence and chaos 

Rousseau is the first ____ advocate

Democratic

Most important event in Rousseaus life

The French Revolution

Rousseaus most important topic

AUTONOMY

• To give yourself law and to be free under this law 

Rousseau’s Dedication to Geneva

Size of the area governed

• Geneva is small, and its better to gain participation and to maintain control 

Shared Interest

• Small size leads to shared interests and creates public virtue 

  • Encourages people to follow laws as they see enforcers (held accountable) 

  • Lived in same area/conditions this leads to more relatability 

Old Government 

• Citizens respect the laws and the people who enforce them.

What is the Second Discourse about?

The Origin of inequality

• Imagine human in a natural state because no philosophers have pictured this before

Nobody has experienced a true natural state

• To do this we must set aside every fact you know about them in the process of socialization

Rousseau on the State of Nature. What is SUS?

A life that is Simple, Uniform, Solitary

Rousseau on the State of Nature. Living a life in the ____

Present moment