PSIR Optional

John Locke

POLITY for Civil services
deepanalysis
Locke – 
  1. Father of Liberalism.
  2. State is a night watchman – Only to protect property.
  3. Scholar of Possessive Individualism (Macpherson)
  4. Settled phase of British History, Glorious revolution.
  5. Books – “Two Treatises of Civil Government.” First book – Criticised Filmer’s Patriarcha (state is like a family of god). Second book – “Civil Govt” (Theory of Limited State, social contract).
  6. Gives limited powers to state (limited state).
  7. “Government is a trust, people are trustees”.
  8. First to talk about representative form of govt.
  9. First to give majoritarian model of democracy.
Liberalism – Philosophy of capitalist class.
Pol. Liberalism – Limited state.
Locke – Balanced view (Enlightened view) on human nature.
Type of govt Locke proposes – 
  1. Which respects Natural rights or FR.
  2. Does not support absolute state.
  • Due to enlightened view of human nature man will not harm other in SON, hence SON will be peaceful and man will be able to enjoy natural rights.
  • Man enters into contract due to inconvenience (To make laws, To execute laws, To adjudicate laws) in SON.
First contract – 
  • SON to Civil society.
  • Civil society consists of all associations which are neither part of natural/informal society nor a part of govt. (Sphere of Freedom)
Second Contract – 
  • Civil Society to Formation of govt.
  • People will form common authority due to inconvenience in SON.
Theory of Separation of Powers – 
  • Reason – Common sense for SOP.
  • Man transfers three rights.
  • Man can’t transfer three rights – Right to life, liberty and property.  State can’t deprive these rights.
  • Govt only enjoys delegated powers.
 
Locke’s concept of revolution – Peaceful constitutional change by constitutional means.
Types of Consent –
  1. Explicit – Those who voted for the party in power.
  2. Tacit – Those who voted for the other parties.
Theory of Natural Rights/Theory of Right to Property – 
  • Right to prop is imp for good and other two rights carry no value without right to prop. “Purpose of creating commonwealth is protection of prop”.
  • Property – Product of one labour including labour of his slave and his horse.
  • Earning prop is not a sin. God has created apple, meat, milk… not to sacrifice but to eat.
  • Initially all property was in common.
Limitation on Right to prop – 
  • Right not to deprive others from earning prop (Equality of opportunity).
  • Labour limitation – Only what prop is legitimate which is earned by putting one’s labour.
Locke on Secularism – 
  1. State should adopt principle of toleration.
  2. State should be tolerant towards followers of different religion.
  3. He suggests freedom of conscience.
  • State should not tolerate atheists. 
Types of intellectuals – 1. Organic intellectuals, 2. Traditional intellectuals.
Filmer – Supporter of absolute state, Critic of social contract, his theory justifies old order (Feudalism or social system based on birth).
Theory of Property – 
  • Locke does not support prop of feudal class (Reason – their prop is not product of their labour).
  • Filmer – 
    • If prop is prod of labour then it becomes difficult to justify right of inheritance. Therefore heredity should the principle to justify prop.
    • Rejects theory of social contract. Because then every generation has to be given opportunity to create contract.
    • Acc to him Adam – was the first king, son of god.
  • Locke’s criticism – 
    • Not possible to find heir of Adam.
    • Like Aristo he does not support absolute authority of state & state is not a family rather family of families.
Man is poor because man is lazy.
Utilitarianism is empiricism.

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