It defined itself as striving to maximize individual liberty through a democratic system of rights under law. Under Classical Liberalism, societies were determined by the outcome of open competitive process, including economic competition, freedom of thought, and political declaration. This idea was first proposed by John Locke in 1690. An English philosopher who wrote
John Locke is one of the most influential Enlightenment philosophers of the seventeenth century. His philosophical writings of individual rights and role of government to secure these rights were a major influence on the founding fathers of the United States of America. The founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison used many of the tenets of John Locke's philosophy to construct the American political ideology of liberal democracy. John Locke's view of what a civil society and popular sovereignty inspired the founding fathers and the colonists to develop a political and social discourse which fueled the American Revolution. Locke's influence can be seen in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers.
Locke thought that the government’s power was best limited by dividing it up into branches, with each branch having only as much power as is needed for its proper function. This way no one branch has too much authority. This also increased the protection and preservation of mankind’s private property. In conclusion Locke's work he explains that the concepts of government power cannot possibly be absolutely arbitrary over the lives and fortunes of the people. He also states that it was the joint power of every member of the society.
All men have the right to be free and by forming a social contract, a nation can be brought together. He enforced the idea of a republic and that the people under ruling should have a part of the leadership governing how they live and that if government abused its powers ranging from law to tyranny they should be overthrown. Locke helped form the basis of modern liberalism, we use today. One of Locke’s main ideas was that men were born with a blank slate in a ‘state of nature’, and could distinguish right from wrong. He believed that man inherently had an understanding of goodness.
One way of doing so was to classify and systematize knowledge; another way was to search for natural laws that were thought to underlie human affairs and to devise scientific techniques of government and social regulation. John Locke argued that governments were created to protect the people; he emphasized the importance of individual rights. Jean Jacques Rousseau asserted that the will of the people was sacred; he believed that people would act collectively on the basis of their shared historical experience. Not all Enlightenment thinkers were radicals or atheists. Many, like Voltaire, believed that monarchs could be agents of change.
Thoreau believes that the government takes the power out of the people’s hands. He also believes that majority rule overpowers the conscience of man and that it is handled in a very improper manner. This also plays into how he feels about the unjust laws in the government. Thoreau thinks that the unjust laws aren’t fixed because Americans believe they have to have a majority of people who agree that the law is unjust and he thinks that that shouldn’t be the case. Thoreau only has the American people’s interest at heart and want them to become a better and greater people, this is what makes him a patriot.
Thoreau then talks about the issue of change through democratic ways. He believes that the real problem is trying to reform with those who don’t approve of the government choices but silently offer their loyalty. Thoreau sees an opposite relationship between money and freedom. The poor man has the greatest freedom to fight because he depends the least on the government
Locke had a social contract which meant that people chose their own government as long as the government agrees to protect their natural rights. The government couldn’t violate the social contract because if they did, they could have overthrown the government. . Starting with the Declaration of Independence and continuing into the United States Constitution, Locke’s philosophy inspired many Americans to break away from the common, European institutions. Also he inspired other countries to do the same.
This difference of opinion flows through to their views on social contract and this essay will discuss this difference in theory as Locke is of the belief that government is necessary in order to preserve natural law, and on the contrary, Hobbes sees government as necessary in order to control natural law. Both Hobbes and Locke theorise that as the laws of nature do not afford sufficient security everyone has to rely on their own mental and physical strength to defend themselves so they enter into a social contract whereby an agreement by individuals results in the formation of the state or of organized society. The prime motive for the social contract is the desire for protection, but it does entail the surrendering of some or all personal liberties. Whilst Hobbes and Locke differ on different aspects of natural law and social contract, both agree that mutual consent through social contract
In the adaptation by Neil L. Cooney it’s mentioned that Thomas Hobbes had three ideas. The first one it states that God gave the right of government upon the king or the monarch. This meant that the people were supposed to listen to the king because he had the same power as God. Since Britain and France wanted to get rid of their king they had to come up with new ideas of the origin of government. Making a “Social Contract” where it stated that God’s authority was actually given to the people and not the king himself.