Do you agree or disagree with john Lockes thesis that we are rational, logical creatures capable of cooperating, compromising while prudently engaging in the pr

Question

John Locke authored a philosophical essay entitled Two Treatises of Government in which he eloquently argued humanity was endowed by God with an inalienable right to life, liberty and property. Government existed to secure the blessings of liberty to make assurances upon these precious rights. Locke argued government existed for the many by the many as opposed to by the few for the few. Lastly the citizenry possessed a right and responsibility to ensure government was created and functioned to this end by any means possible including armed revolution

Answer 1

On the one hand, human beings in the state of nature are not rational because they are only concerned about their possessions and acquiring more by almost any means necessary. Everyone is potentially a victim of the state of nature and others because humans are only looking out for themselves. Human beings are rational enough, however to come together to preserve themselves and their possessions by engaging in the social contract and create a government that will protect them (or most of them) and their rights and possessions. They want to continue to live and rather be in this chaotic state with no higher authority, they want to preserve themselves by establishing an authority that will keep them in check. If at any point, that authority begins to not do what they designed it to do, citizens do have a right to rid themselves of that government, violently if necessary in order to establish a new one that will protect their rights.