1

Question 6

Student Name
Departmental Affiliation, Institutional Affiliation
Course Code: Course Name
Professor (or Dr.) First name Last name
Date
 2

Question 6
John Locke’s political views, up to chapter 5 of his Second Treatise of Government, can
be characterized as those of a classical liberalist. In the 17th century, England was a country
where the three major ideologies were absolutism, classical liberalism, and democracy.
Absolutism was the political ideology that saw the monarch as having absolute power and
authority over the people. Classical liberalism, on the other hand, was an ideology that
emphasized individual rights, freedoms, and liberties and limited the state's power. Democracy,
which was still in its infancy at the time, was an ideology that sought to give the people a voice
and a say in how the state was run. Locke’s views on the relationship between the state and the
individual align with those of classical liberalism. Locke believes people have natural rights,
such as life, liberty, and property, and are inalienable. He also believes that the state must protect
these rights. In chapter 2, he argues that people have the right to protect their property by any
means necessary, including using force. He argues that this right to self-defense is natural and
inalienable. This shows that Locke places a high value on individual rights and freedoms.
Another way in which Locke’s political views align with those of classical liberalism is
in his belief in limited government. Locke argues that the state exists to protect people’s natural
rights but should not have unlimited power. He believes that a set of laws should limit the state’s
power and that the people should agree upon these laws. In chapter 3, he argues that the
legislative power should be supreme and that the law should limit the executive power. This
shows that Locke believes in a system of checks and balances and that the state should not have
unchecked power over the people. Locke’s views on democracy are less clear in the book. He
does not explicitly advocate for a democratic system of government, but he does argue that the
people have the right to choose their representatives. In chapter 3, he argues that the legislative
power should be made up of representatives whom the people choose. However, he also argues
that the right to vote should be limited to property owners. This suggests that Locke’s view of
democracy is more limited than modern democracies.
In contrast to Locke’s classical liberal views, absolutism was the dominant ideology in
England at the time. The monarch had almost unlimited power, and the people had little say in
how the country was run. However, some advocated for a more democratic system of
government. The Levellers, for example, was a group of political activists who believed in equal
power distribution and individual rights protection. They argued that the people had the right to
choose their representatives and that the state’s power should be limited.
In conclusion, up to chapter 5 of his Second Treatise of Government, John Locke’s
political views can be characterized as those of a classical liberalist. He places a high value on
individual rights and freedoms and believes in a system of limited government. While he does
not explicitly advocate for a democratic system of government, he does argue that the people
have the right to choose their representatives. This places him at odds with the dominant
ideology of absolutism in 17th-century England but also shows that he was part of a growing
movement that sought to limit the state’s power and protect individual rights.
 3

References
J. Locke, Second Treatise of Government (Hackett; edited with an introduction by C.B.

MacPherson) ISBN: 978091514486