Two well-known philosophers, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, do exactly this by discussing elements of the social contract, a theory from the Age of Enlightenment that addresses the nature of man, the origin of society and political authority over man. In Locke’s Two Treaties of Government and A letter Concerning Toleration, he addresses the state of nature, liberty, …show more content…
He begins with the state of nature, which is a state that men are naturally in and will remain so unless they enter a state of war or consent to a form a civil society. In this state, every individual is equal. There is no natural hierarchy; rather, man is created equally in God’s image and granted the same potential in faculties, strength and abilities. Humans are also entirely free, but this freedom is not a complete state of anarchy considering it is influenced by natural law. All men are morally obliged to follow the natural laws, because they stipulate how people ought to behave in a state of nature. In the event of an injustice, man can execute the law of nature through reason and reprimand the offender to discourage him from doing it again. Lastly, individuals have natural rights, which are rights not hinged upon customs, beliefs, or laws of a certain society. That being said, they are universal and unalienable. Locke believes that men have the right to life, liberty and …show more content…
The right to life is a foundational right, of which all other rights are corollaries. The right to life states that man owns his body. It is his property to do as he wishes. No one may force man to act a certain way, injure him, or take his life without consent. Next, the right to liberty is a consequence of the right to life. It is specifically referring to a person’s freedom of actions. One is allowed to do what he want, so long as he do not encroach on the rights of anyone else. This liberty is a necessity to man’s self-preservation because his means of survival is reason, and he can only act through reason if he is free from others. Lastly, Locke discusses the right to property. Property rights are also an extension of the right to life. In order to support himself, man must be able to own and use the products of his labor. Locke provides the following rules for the accumulation of private property: 1) man may only appropriate as much as on can use before it spoils, 2) one must leave enough property for others, and 3) one may only appropriate property through one’s own labor. In conclusion, man theoretically has these rights to life, liberty, and property in the state of