John Locke Smith

Question 1

John Locke’s Background:

Answer 1

• 1632-1704
• Firmly situated in Christian doctrine
• Writes after the English civil war
• Glorious Revolution 1688
  ○ Power shifts from King to Parliament (the monarchy wasn’t destroyed but greater power
  came into the hands of the people)
• Philosopher, political writer, medical researcher
• Believed deeply in supremacy of God and the power of human reason (scientific analysis and
  critical thinking was compatible to Christian faith)
• He opposed authoritarianism in gov’t big champion of the rights of induvial
• Believed in rational legitimacy of gov’t institutions
• Long periods of exile on run from the King
• Wanted humans to follow natural law and fulfill divine purpose of humanity

Question 2

Origins of Private Property:

Answer 2

• Christianity: God gave men the world in common
• So how can anyone have private property?
• Locke seeks to answer this question

Question 3

How does nature introduce private property?

Answer 3

• Natural reason: men have a right to self-preservation and therefore resources. And in order to be
  useful to us, resources have to be appropriated (used).
• God’s gift isn’t any good if we don’t use it and die
• So what do humans need to achieve the divine vision
  ○ Life
  ○ Liberty
  ○ Health
  ○ Property
• We have a right to these things (natural rights, rights that we have in the state of nature before
  the introduction of civil governments)
• A major contrast to Hobbes, he is using the language of a state of nature but in Locke’s we have
  the right to freedom and property but Hobbes says the only right we have in the state of nature is
  self-preservation. A war of all against all. Locke’s state of nature is peaceful, there is a natural right
  to life liberty and property that supersedes government. Hobbes says we only get those things
  after entering civil government.

Question 4

How is property acquired in practical reality?

Answer 4

• We have material needs (food, water, shelter) and we can only meet them by interacting with
  nature
• We have property over our own person. We use our body for labor and the products of this labor
  is rightfully our property (provided it doesn’t deprive anyone else of access to the common).
• The labor of making an object useful makes it yours.

Question 5

It’s Good to Have Land

Answer 5

• Land can be owned through labor: till the earth to make it useful and it is yours
• This is not prejudicial to others because there is lots of land left for them
• No one could possibly appropriate everything. (No one ever begrudged a drink of water from a
  river)
• He was writing before capitalism, some land was common land where anyone could go into to
  harvest

Question 6

Agriculture=Efficiency

Answer 6

• You will give back to society because of what you invest in your property
• We don’t have to worry about people taking too much because that’s not in their best interest
• Private property is good for increasing production that improves human kind

Question 7

Labour is the root of value:

Answer 7

abour is the root of value
* Value is the improvement to raw materials created by human labour
* Everything that is valuable depends on raw materials + labour and what you generate is rightfully
your property
* What if you work in an auto shop? Do you own the car you build? No because the tools you used
belonged to someone else. And you get wages in exchange for your labour.

Question 8

Objection: Couldn’t you just take everything?

Answer 8

• What if you gathered all the acorns?
• You are entitled to take only what you can use
• If you take too much it will spoil and you are depriving everyone. Waste is the only crime?
• Its clear that billionaires are hoarding the commons

Question 9

And then, the invention of Money

Answer 9

• Before money each only accumulates what’s useful to himself, in part because the most useful
  things are the most perishable (food).
• Value is stored in the money in exchange for the apples

Question 10

It’s OK to be greedy

Answer 10

• We should expect there to be inequality
• We can exchange the surplus for something that will not spoil
• Hoarding money is no injury to anyone

Question 11

Civil Society

Answer 11

• Job of government is to protect life liberty and property
• Government is not a natural thing, it’s a social institution
• Natural right is upheld and defended
• Government exits to protect natural rights
• There will be disputes and harm against property that needs a government to resolve
• Let economic exchange in response to the desire and decisions of traders, government just has to
  make sure the basic market is protected
• Hobbes: State of Nature-> civ society= transferring natural rights to sovereign for safety and
  order
• Locke’s: State of Nature-> civ society= designing institutions to protect natural rights (of life and
  property)
• His whole theory depends on the notion that one person can’t own everything
  belonged to someone else. And you get wages in exchange for your labour.