Question

After the Glorious Revolution, John Locke published his Two Treatises on Government, which would strongly influence political thought in the colonies. What was Locke’s argument?

Answer 1

Answer:

In the Two Treatises on Government, John Locke argues on the divine rights of the kings and on the need for a democratic form of government.

Explanation:

John Locke published the Two Treatises on Government in two volumes. Firstly, the First Treatise was published as a contradictory work against Robert Filmer’s 'Patriarcha'. He criticized the divine rights of the kings which was emphasized in Filmer's work. Locke rejects the notion of patriarchalism. He does not believe that man is born slave to kings because he believes in reason and that every man is free to govern himself or herself.

In Locke's Second Treatise, he establishes a set of political values and laws which can build the society positively. After the devastation he witnessed during the Glorious Revolution, Locke emphasized on the need for a democratic government where people can govern themselves without any arbitrary authority.He placed importance on the existence of the God. He, therefore, drew his inspiration from a higher entity by saying that no man is greater than the other. He believed that everyone was equal under God's eyes.

John Locke firmly believed that every man can lively freely and equally based on reason and not under the authority of any superior king or man.