On the Virtues of Private Property in Locke and Rousseau...

On the Virtues of Private Property in Locke and Rousseau John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau, following their predecessor Thomas Hobbes, both attempt to explain the development and dissolution of society and government. They begin, as Hobbes did, by defining the â€Å"state of nature†Ã¢â‚¬â€a time before man found rational thought. In the Second Treatise[1] and the Discourse on Inequality[2], Locke and Rousseau, respectively, put forward very interesting and different accounts of the state of nature and the evolution of man, but the most astonishing difference between the two is their conceptions of property. Both correctly recognize the origin of property to be grounded in man’s natural desire to improve his life, but they differ†¦show more content†¦In that vein, there exists natural competition between men over food and other necessities, and although the stronger may yield temporary power over the weaker in an individual situation, the power is neither absolute nor permanent. All men have both a responsibility and a right to enforce the law of nature, and therefore punish those who break it. â€Å"That in the State of Nature, every one has the Executive Power of the Law of Nature.† (Locke, Second Treatise, II.13). Equality is maintained. Having established his state of nature, Locke begins his description of the formation and transition to society, and appropriately starts with a discussion of property. â€Å"God, who hath given the World to Men in common, hath also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of Life, and convenience.† (Locke, Second Treatise, V.26). Here, Locke does little more than apply natural law (self preservation) to what he sees around him (land), but in doing so, makes a groundbreaking shift. He reveals that, following from natural law, men have a right to use what they have around them to further their own preservation and lives. In addition, man has an inherent, and obvious, possession of himself and all that comes with it, including, and most importantly, labor. â€Å"The Labour of his Body, and the Work of his Hands, we may say, are properly his.† (Locke, Second Treatise,Show MoreRelatedJean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke: Their Relevance for Ameri can Society 1811 Words   |  7 PagesIn Second Treatise on Government and The Social Contract, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau each present and describe their own perceptions of what allows for equality, freedom and democracy. Of the many major ideas developed throughout these texts, the two main distinctions between the two philosophers are natural freedom versus civil freedom and individualism versus collectivism. John Locke, who provided the framework that would allow for liberal democracy, writes that in a state of nature,Read MorePolitical Theory: Property1369 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscipline of political theory is the issue of property. 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