Locke's The Second Treatise of Civil Government: The Significance of Reason
The significance of reason is discussed both in John Locke's, The Second
Treatise of Civil Government, and in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's, Emile. However,
the definitions that both authors give to the word "reason" vary significantly.
I will now attempt to compare the different meanings that each man considered to
be the accurate definition of reason.
John Locke believed that the state "all men are naturally in ... is a
state of perfect freedom" (122), a state in which they live "without ...
depending upon the will of any other man" (122). It is called the "the state of
nature," and it is something that is within us at birth. The state of nature is
a law made by God, called the Law of Reason. This law gives humankind liberty,
freedom, and equality and stresses that no man "ought to harm another in his
life, liberty, or possessions" (123). According to Locke, the law of reason is
the basis of man as well......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 1325
Approximate Pages: 6 (260 words per double-spaced page) |