| John Lock was a classic liberal. He was one of the | | | | because it is mixed with his labor. His labor added |
| first political philosophers believing in natural rights | | | | something that was not present in its natural |
| as opposed to the divine right. In The Second | | | | state and with out his labor, these items remain in |
| Treatise of Government, Lock writes about the | | | | the state of nature, and are useless and will be |
| "state of nature" which is a pre-political society | | | | wasted. |
| where people had natural rights and were all free | | | | Locke goes on to state that just because |
| and equal. In the section of The Second Treatise | | | | gathering fruits makes them a man's, this does |
| of Government entitled Of Property, Locke, using | | | | not mean he can take as much as he wants. |
| reason and religion, explains his theory about | | | | Locke again uses religion by saying that God gave |
| private property and how that property is | | | | us the Earth to enjoy. If a man takes something |
| acquired in the state of nature. | | | | and lets it go to waste, he is not enjoying it. |
| Locke first says that by using reason or religion, | | | | Anything more than what a man can use is |
| the earth and its fruits belong to all of man for his | | | | beyond his share and belongs to the rest of |
| own use. By using reason, Locke says, that | | | | mankind. To take it, would be stealing from the |
| simply by being born, man has a right to his own | | | | rest of mankind and he who does so should be |
| preservation and thus a right to eat and drink "as | | | | punished. |
| Nature affords." By using religion, Locke argues | | | | Locke then uses these theories and applies them |
| that God has given the earth to all men to use. | | | | to property of land as well. A person can acquire |
| Locke's question then, is how does one | | | | land by enclosing it or farming on it, but once |
| appropriate property? Since the plants and animals | | | | again, he can only take as much as he can |
| of the Earth, in the state of nature, belong to | | | | cultivate. If a man does that, taking only what he |
| every man, Locke argues that there must be a | | | | can use and leaving the rest, there is plenty for |
| way to make it ones own before it can be used. | | | | everyone else who also take their share, which |
| Labor, Locke argues, is how property is | | | | Locke likens to be as good as taking nothing at all. |
| appropriated. Each persons own person is their | | | | If a man took more land than he could use and |
| property. Since no one has a right to this but | | | | the land went uncultivated or the fruits of the |
| himself, "the labor of his body and the work of his | | | | land went rotten, then the man was in violation of |
| hands, we may say, are properly his." The items | | | | the laws of nature and he should be punished. |
| that man takes out of nature, are by rights his, | | | | |