Why Government

John Locke was born in England in 1632, at about the same time that Hobbes was about to begin his life’s work as a philosopher. Locke considered becoming a minister, started his career as a doctor, but ended up as a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of those leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who helped America gain independence from Britain nearly 150 years after Locke was born. Jefferson studied Locke’s writings, and Locke’s ideas show up in our own Constitution.​

A Man with Many Hats

Multiple Choice

What was John Locke's career?

• Philosopher

• Painter

• Musician

• Politician

Multiple Choice

In paragraph one, what did Thomas Jefferson do?

• helped America gain independence from Britain

• Became the third President of the United States

• Founded the University of Virginia

• Purchased the Louisiana Territory

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best supports the evidence that Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's writings?

• Locke’s ideas show up in our own Constitution

• Jefferson's architectural designs

• Jefferson's interest in agriculture

• Jefferson's collection of French wines

One of Locke’s books, called An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, took over 18 years to write! In it, he says that people are born with a mind like a tabula rasa, which means a blank slate or page. During life, that blank slate gets filled up with the things a person experiences with the five senses. He said people learn and develop differently because they are exposed to different things. The one thing people have in common is that they are human and share a human nature that is the same for all people everywhere.

​The Blank Slate

Multiple Choice

According to Locke, why do people develop differently?

• Because of their innate ideas

• Due to differences in their experiences

• Because of their genetic makeup

• Due to their social and economic status

Locke imagined a set of natural rights that human beings share. These are the right to life, liberty, and property. Life refers to the fact that people want to live and will fight to survive. Liberty means that people want to be as free as possible to make their own decisions. Property represents the fact that people want to own things that help them survive, such as land, food, and tools. Locke believed these rights aren’t given to people—people are born with them.

Natural Rights

Multiple Choice

According to Locke, what are the natural rights that all human beings share?

• Life, Liberty, and Property

• Freedom of Speech, Right to Vote, and Education

• Right to Bear Arms, Freedom of Religion, and Trial by Jury

• Healthcare, Education, and Employment

Multiple Choice

What does the natural right to life entail?

• The right to personal liberty

• The right to seek happiness and prosperity

• people want to live and will fight to survive

• The right to own property

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best explains the natural right to liberty?

• people want to be as free as possible to make their own decisions.

• It is the right to participate in political decisions that affect one's life.

• It is the right to own and use property without undue government interference.

• It is the right to equal treatment under the law.

Multiple Choice

What does the natural right to property refer to?

• A government-granted privilege

• people want to own things that help them survive

• A legal concept developed in the 19th century

• A principle of economic theory

Multiple Choice

According to Locke, how do people get natural rights?

• Through government legislation

• people are born with them

• Through social contracts

• By earning them

Locke also wondered what life would be like if people didn’t have a government. Like Hobbes, he believed this would lead to a state of nature with no rules, no one in charge, and no way for people to protect their natural rights. He believed the purpose of government is to end the state of nature and give people certain protections. But Locke also believed that governments should protect people’s natural rights.

​Why do we need a government?

Multiple Choice

According to Locke, what was the purpose of government?

• To enforce the divine right of kings

• to end state of nature and protect people

• To collect taxes

• To promote economic growth

Locke believed a government can only be legitimate, or valid, if it is based on a social contract with citizens. For Locke, the social contract between a government and its people worked both ways: The people agree to give up some freedoms, but only if the government agrees to protect everyone’s rights. If the government fails to deliver, the people have the right to revolt like the colonists did during the American Revolution. This two-way exchange between citizens and government was very different from Hobbes’ view.

Social Contract, Take Two...

Multiple Choice

What does the word legitimate mean?

• Not allowed by law

• Having no basis in law

• Valid

• Being in accordance with established standards

Multiple Choice

What is a contract?

• A legal document

• A type of financial investment

• A programming concept

• An agreement between two or more parties

Multiple Choice

What is a social contract?

• A legally binding agreement between citizens

• people give up some freedoms for protection

• A written constitution of a country

• A business agreement between two parties

Multiple Choice

In the last paragraph, what is an example of a government failing to deliver on the social contract?

• The American Revolution

• a free public education

• free healthcare

• Feudalism