[Written for my Euro History class, this analysis struck a nerve with me since Locke is arguably my greatest political influence. I’m actually pretty damn proud of this one.]
…
Arguably among John Locke’s most important and influential works, the Second Treatise of Civil Government is an analytical work regarding the purposes and functions of government, as well as how it operates with regard to society at large. Published in 1689, the Second Treatise is a compilation of Locke’s own beliefs regarding government and its various aspects. Ordered into nineteen chapters, and further subdivided into a total of two-hundred forty-three sections, Locke’s work begins with several fundamental concepts key to his philosophy, then outlines the purposes and limits of both government and civil society, and finally describes the two entities’ relationships therein. The work, however, is written by Locke in such a way that is meant to be simple to understand and easy to grasp. Locke does not rely on rhetoric to promote his arguments, and instead relies upon the arguments by themselves and his logical and philosophical justifications for them. In the preface to his Second Treatise, Locke himself states that “cavilling here and there, at some expression, or little incident of my discourse, is not an answer to my book” and that “I shall not take railing for arguments.” Locke thereby establishes Second Treatise as a work rooted in what he perceives as fact, and not in sensationalism or rhetorical arguments. To fully understand Locke’s arguments, however, one must understand his credentials and background, as well. With this knowledge, it becomes easier to understand the context within which Locke’s Second Treatise was written, and just why it has become one of the most influential works of modern political thought to date.
…
John Locke was born a lawyer’s son in August of 1632, in the town of Wrington, Somerset. Locke’s father, also named John, was a country lawyer and a Puritan man who had served in the English Civil War on the side of the Parliamentarians. It was this connection which allowed Locke an excellent education: Locke’s father’s commander in the Civil War became the local Member of Parliament, and it was through this connection that young Locke was afforded an education at Westminster School in London, which was among the most prestigious educational institutions of the time in England. Following Locke’s education at Westminster, he attended Christ Church, Oxford in 1652. It was here that Locke indulged himself in his studies, particularly in those of medicine and experimental science, both of which were outside of the standard curriculum. Locke graduated with his B.A. in 1656, and subsequently with his M.A. in 1658. Following his education, he spent a short period as a teacher at Christ Church for four years, however declined to teach further as to do so would require him to enter a holy order. It was during this time that Locke had begun reading such figures as Boyle and Descartes, the former whom Locke knew personally from his experience at Oxford. When Locke read Descartes, however, he admired the Frenchman’s outlook in contrast to the Aristotelian philosophy he had been taught at Oxford: philosophy he had found to be largely useless and sterile. His reading both Boyle and Descartes, and his working with Boyle directly, greatly solidified his interests in two fields: his admiration of Boyle solidified his interest in the natural sciences, while his admiration of Descartes solidified his interest in political and social philosophy. It was in 1666 when Locke met and became close friends with Lord Ashley, later to become 1st Earl of Shaftesbury. Locke became the Lord’s medical advisor, despite his lack of training as a physician, but moreover he became the Lord’s closest confidant and advisor in all matters. The men particularly found friendship in one another because of likeness in their political beliefs: both promoted a constitutional monarchy, both promoted civil liberties, both promoted the rule of Parliament, and both shared many other beliefs. Ashley himself was a prominent politician, and with their connection Locke was often granted a say in numerous matters of state and of personal interest to the Lord. By 1647, now Lord Shaftesbury had left government, and Locke returned to Oxford to actually pursue medicine. Locke was forced into exile, however, when Shaftesbury fell into disfavor with King Charles II. It was discovered that a number of Shaftesbury’s followers and friends had plotted an assassination attempt against the King, and under scrutiny Locke fled England for Holland where he remained until 1688. When the Glorious Revolution occurred in 1688, Locke returned to England aboard the royal yacht. It was on his return that Locke published a number of works, but most importantly, in this context, he published his Two Treatises on Civil Government. Published anonymously, the Two Treatises, particularly the Second Treatise, were an enumeration of Locke’s beliefs regarding government and the divine right of kings, which had been eliminated in England by the Glorious Revolution; it was a defense overall of the Glorious Revolution and the new King William. Locke’s later years, until his death in 1704, were spent in relative retirement, however he continued to publish works and serve in public life until 1700.
…
Considering the political climate of Locke’s England, especially upon his return in 1688, it should be no surprise regarding his previous beliefs towards constitutional government that he worked in his Second Treatise to discredit the divine right of kings. As one can see even by only skimming the chapter titles for their central themes, Locke’s work in Second Treatise postulates a society rooted in moral ideals and common principles where individuals, society at large, and the governments they create work towards maintaining order. The last of these three is paramount: it is Locke’s belief that governments are created solely by the people and to serve the people, particularly to protect the properties of individuals, and that if a government does otherwise, it has done wrong. Specifically, for instance, one can reference Section 87 of Chapter VII in how it relates man to civil society and to political society, where political society serves as an “umpire” with regard to the natural laws which exist for all men, asserted earlier in Chapter II and onwards. It is in this way that Locke balances the various aspects of society and theorizes social contract: the idea that people give up some rights to ensure the protection of others, specifically property rights as established in Chapter V. It is also through these arguments that Locke promotes the rule of law, and that if the rule of law fails to carry out its prescribed duties, then the civil government established to maintain said law has failed in its duties. Among the more notable examples of this in Locke’s text is covered in Chapter III: “Of the State of War;” it is in Section 20 of this chapter where Locke equates a miscarriage of justice to the violence of the crime which the law failed to properly prosecute. In addition, in further promoting his theory that the state is responsible to the people and that no ruler may rule without his (or her) people’s consent, the final chapter of Locke’s Second Treatise sets out the mechanisms by which a society may change its government if it fails to serve the people correctly. Chapter XIX, aptly titled “Of the Dissolution of Government,” sets forth the causes, justifications, and ideas which should “govern” the dismantling of a system of government in favor of a system which would perform in a capacity better suited to serve the people and protect their rights and liberties. It is with this chapter that Locke sets forth a map of sorts by which both current and future individuals could justify their own revolutions with, in addition to further solidifying and legitimizing the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and subsequently legitimizing the reign of the new King William.
…
Locke’s Second Treatise is, as stated, among the most influential works of modern western political thought ever published. The Second Treatise, and the other works of Locke, have inspired countless political movements and several revolutions, and perhaps most notably the ideals of Locke were embodied in the Declaration of Independence and its assertion to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as well as subsequently being featured in the US Constitution. To read Locke’s Second Treatise directly, rather than to read about it through other means such as through interpretative essays or textbook accounts of his work, gives the reader a glimpse into Locke’s very own words and ideas. Thusly, it opens up Locke’s own work for direct interpretation, and allows the reader to observe it in context with regard to the historical circumstances surrounding it. To study the Second Treatise through reading it is to glimpse back towards the circumstances surrounding the Glorious Revolution of 1688, where for the first time in English history the dominance of Parliament was fully asserted over the power of the monarch. It was during this period of time that modern liberal thought began to develop, particularly in England where the nature of English law and government had allowed such thought to flourish in the light of healthy political discourse. Locke, as a major figure of early liberal political philosophy, laid the foundation for the rise of such prominent western powers such as the expanded British Empire and the United States of America, where his ideas and theories were incorporated into the basic compositions of these two great nations’ governments, and of their derivatives and imitators. The modern western liberal nation-state owes much of its origin to Locke’s basic philosophical ideals, for without his contributions and influence it is doubtful that such great political revolutions and changes would have occurred as extensively they did.
Блог Матвея 