How do Locke and Rousseau each view freedom?

Answer 1

While both Locke and Rousseau write about the concept of freedom, they each emphasize different meanings of freedom and how it is realized. Locke believes men are born with a double right: that to his person and to inherit his father’s goods. When realized, this encompasses the protection of individual rights by a limited government, as well as the right to own private property. Locke also contends that people have a right to revolt against governments that fail to protect these freedoms. Rousseau, on the other hand, promotes the importance of the social contract as a means to afford people safety and security. Upon entering civil society, a man earns civil liberty and proprietary ownership, according to Rousseau, without which freedom is impossible. Rousseau strongly believes in governments operating based on the will of the people and in the interest of the common good, even if this means affording them more power.