Locke on the Purpose of Government
According to Locke’s excerpt, what is the primary purpose of establishing a government?
All men are naturally equal and endowed with inherent rights that cannot be surrendered. In their natural state, individuals enjoy freedom, yet this condition also leaves them vulnerable to the uncertainties of life. Governments are instituted to safeguard these rights, not to impose arbitrary authority. When a government fails to protect life, liberty, or property, it loses its legitimacy. The consent of the governed is the cornerstone of political power and social order. Consequently, the preservation of natural rights justifies the establishment of civil government.
John Locke, Second Treatise on Civil Government, 1690.
To secure the natural rights of individuals, including life, liberty, and property.
To enforce rigid social hierarchies determined by tradition.
To centralize power and limit the freedom of the governed.
To ensure that economic prosperity is prioritized over individual rights.
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