1. Why did Locke deny that he wrote the Second Treatise of Government in 1689?

a. Other’s who had openly spoken out against the king or who had been involved in
revolutionary plots had either fled the country or had been executed for treason.
Locke was so scared that the same fate may befall him should anyone find out
he was writing revolutionary teachings that he actively denied authoring the
Second Treatise.
2. What would be the primary purpose of a Lockean government? Contrast this with the
primary purpose of a Hobbsian government.
a. The role of a Lockean government is to protect and enforce the natural rights of
life described by Locke; life, liberty, and property. A Hobbsian government on the
other hand was one solely devoted to enforcing the laws to secure a peaceful
society, making life, liberty, and property possible in the first place. This
sovereign was one that yielded absolute power, whereas in a Lockean
government the leadership would be constrained by the people.
Topic 1. Are all human beings naturally equal?
3. What did Locke believe was the condition of people in the state of nature?
a. Locke believed that in the state of nature men would be perfectly free and equal.
Since everyone was equal and independent, there was no need to harm another
man, thus allowing for the pursuit of life, health, liberty or possessions.
4. What is the key feature that for Locke distinguishes humans from other living things?
a. Locke believes it is the possession of reason that distinguishes human beings
from other animals. It is because we are rational creatures that we can justify
human equality
5. What gives us certain inalienable rights according to Locke?
a. The rationality of human beings gives them a unique capacity for self-mastery
that endows them with rights. Humans live under reason, but beasts live under
the rule of force. A human being who rules with violence forfeits his human rights
because he resorts to physical force as opposed to the natural driving force
behind humanity which is the reason.
6. Under what circumstances would Locke argue that a man could give up his freedom and
the rights that guarantee such freedom?
a. A man can forfeit his human freedoms if he tries to dominate other men through
brute force, instead of utilizing the innate human quality of reason.
7. Does Locke focus on establishing equality of condition or equality of opportunity?
a. The focus is that since we are more or less equal biologically, we should be given
equality of opportunity and equality of rights. Which is in stark contrast to Hobbes
who comes to a completely different conclusion from the same information.
Topic 2. Should a just government secure private property rights?
8. According to Locke, what allows men to claim property?
a. The labour of a person is his own work. When labour is put into an object, project
or task that in effect becomes their own.Therefore, self ownership and
independent decision making form the foundation of Locke’s reasoning for private
property. Property can be said to be an extension of oneself when it has arisen or
 been gained as a result of one’s actions. Thus, the products of one’s labour form
a part of an individual's traits and identity which allows them possession of them.
9. For Locke, can a person exercise self-mastery or self-rule without property?
a. If property does not include the person, then yes, as self-mastery is a means of gaining
property. However, if that is not the case, then no, as the property of oneself and one’s
own labour ensures that one person can properly ​exercise ​the self-mastery.
b. Edward: Locke states that self-ownership is a basic right which everyone should
possess. As long as people possess this basic right and basic freedoms they are
free to exercise self-mastery even if they are dirt poor (possess no property).
10. According to Locke, are there limits to the amount of property a person may own?
a. Yes, there are three: a man must only gain property through his own labour; there must be
property left over that can be divided out for the rest of men; and, a man must only take
what he needs, such that he does not spoil that which he owns.
11. For Locke what constitutes property?
a. Locke begins with the principle that each man is their own, so therefore each man has
ownership of themselves and the labour he provides. In this way, as each man is in
control of his labour, he can use that labour to gain resources and commodities and
goods, which become his as a result of his labour, and in effect can be added to his
collection of possessions.
12. What have been the economic consequences of the adoption of property rights for those
societies that have them?
a. Property rights become overly difficult when one considers that money has come into the
picture, as money does not spoil as easily as natural resources might. As money can be
maintained for longer periods of time and is significantly more stable as a commodity, it
becomes much more attractive to hold onto, and as such there forms an inequality
between people. With inequality, there can form a class of rich people who can afford
more land than came from equal rights, and then there can exist landless peoples. Those
with land can reap the benefits of all the resources that can come of it, and those without
land are forced to suffer the lack of resources, while also bearing full legal equality as
persons. The rich can influence politics; the poor cannot. In this way, rich persons can
take control of poor persons, but poor persons would be held to account under the law,
yet couldn’t control the law. Most importantly, one loses freedom from the will of others
- an essential part of a man’s humanity (according to Macpherson).
Topic 3. Can liberal government combine individual freedom with political
authority?
13. For Locke, in order for a government's authority not to be considered oppressive of
individual autonomy what would be required?
a. A government which is governed by the consent of the governed would not be
considered oppressive, since in a community of self-governing citizens, men
would exercise their self-rule by living under laws created by themselves;
therefore they live with as much rights as they have without government.
Topic 4. Can Lockean government secure the consent of the governed?
14. For Locke what is the difference between those who constitute a society and who
constitute that society's government?
a. Those who constitute a society moves from their state of nature to a society, and
then some of them organize themselves into a form of government. Those who
constitute a society has complete freedom in whether or not to be a part of that
society, but those who constitute that society’s government are elected by
majority vote, so the citizens does not have complete freedom in choice of
governance.
15. According to Locke, people can give either "express" or "tacit” consent to the society
they belong to. What is the difference between these two kinds of consent?
a. Expressed consent are conducted with a promise of loyalty to a society by some
formal declaration. Tacit consent, however, are conducted by simply living in a
society and enjoying its benefits, particularly concerning property protection.
Expressed consents are permanent (citizens are sworn to uphold it) while tacit
consents are not permanent obligations.
16. Is it important for a Lockean government to be able to claim that its citizens have
consented to being governed? Explain.
a. No, since the government only requires a majority consent, not complete consent
over the entire society. A Lockean government is formed by a majority consent
from the society while the constituents of that society have complete freedom
over whether or not to remain in that society; that means people not happy with
their rulers could leave at will.
Topic 5. By what right does the majority rule?
17. How does Locke justify a society being governed by the majority?
a. A ​community​, created by a group of individuals, operates as if it is one body,
which contains only the will of the majority. Locke concedes that no complete
consensus is always possible in a community.
18. According to Thomas Jefferson, what constraint must operate upon the majority in order
for them to exercise their political will over the minority?
a. The majority are “equal” to minorities and they possess equal rights that equal
laws must protect. The majority must sacrifice some of their individual freedoms
in the process in order to become equal to minorities.
Due by Sep 18, 2019

Due by Sep 19, 2019

Topic 6. Can the rule of law and the separation of powers secure individual
rights?
19. What is Locke's opinion of having an absolute concentration of political power?
a. Locke was a huge advocate for separation of powers, as he viewed that as one
of the primary ways of limiting the power of government.so in that sense he
would not support having a large central/concentrated government or political
entity.
20. According to Locke, what two conditions would prevent arbitrary abuse of power?
a. The separation of powers to deter concentrations of power, and a series of
checks and balances that directly limit the influence of government
21. Locke makes a special case for the executive having prerogative power. What is
prerogative power and what justifies its use?
a. Prerogative power is a privilege the executive carries that allows him to have the
absolute and final decision on certain matters. Locke argues that this power
should only be resorted to in times of crises when there is not enough time to
assemble a legislative and organize debate. Furthermore, the executive should
only use this power for the good of the people.
Topic 7. Must the executive have the powers of a dictator?
22. Nixon, who was the only President to ever resign from office, used what he felt were his
prerogative powers as President of the United States. How did he justify his actions?
a. He justified his actions by comparing his circumstances with the one faced by
Lincoln; Lincoln, in turn, justified his decision by arguing that in times of crisis, a
government must infringe on some liberties of its citizens in order to maintain
overall liberty. Nixon argued that the Vietnam War had caused “ideological” split
as difficult as the Civil War.
23. How does Locke justify the executive having prerogative powers?
a. Lockean prerogative depends on three factors: the nature of the people, the
nature of the legislative power, and the nature of nature. Prerogative is necessary
because the people demands it, the law cannot supplant it and the nature of the
matter requires it.
24. In order to justify the use of prerogative power, Locke outlined three potential constraints
of legislatures. What were they?
a. First a legislature is not always in session, and when it is the number of its
members and its slowness prevent it from making quick decisions. Finally, laws
must be inflexible and therefore not always appropriate to changing
circumstances.
25. Why did Locke argue that the executive's prerogative powers are greatest in foreign
affairs?
a. Foreign issues, like war, are difficult to govern and predict through the laws of a
nation. Thus, it is necessary that those that govern a country be empowered with
the ability to coordinate the nation against outside influences (like in war or other
for other foreign affairs) and the ability to negotiate with outside powers on behalf
of those they represent.
26. Rather than have executive prerogative powers what did the ancient Romans do in order
to deal with emergency situations?
a. The Romans had it enshrined in their laws that in a state of total war or other dire
situations for the Roman Republic there would be the ability to grant one
individual the title of ‘Dictator’ for a six month term. This served to grant the
republic to address emergencies in the short term effectively and decisively, but
 with a term short enough that major permanent damage to the system could not
be done.
Topic 8. What is the right to revolution?
27. According to Locke, what types of rulers should never have to fear a revolution?
a. Rulers who are wise enough to govern in a manner which does not oppress the
majority would never have to fear revolution since revolutions typically are slow to
start and arise only because of widespread oppression of the majority.
28. In order for revolution to be justified what threshold did Locke feel needed to be met?
a. Locke did not believe any one individual held the right to revolution per se, but
that the majority of a society held the right to rebel. This was meant to be used as
a tool against oppressive governments.

Notes:
Locke - basic civil rights (property) - need civil rights to be productive/flourish
Locke - everything you possess that can’t be taken away by governments
Locke - human nature may be bad but not as bad as some oppressive regimes
Locke - does not believe you have to be forced to consent

Hobbes - concerns himself with consent