Locke and Rousseau: Contrasting Political Philosophies
Locke and the Liberal State
In his book, *The Second Treatise on Civil Government*, John Locke reflects the views of the rising bourgeois class. According to Locke, man is rational and free, and his highest aspiration is happiness. The end of politics is the pursuit of happiness, which would be impossible without peace, harmony, and security.
Locke develops a theory of state and determines the source of the government’s legitimacy. He believes that the main priorities of his political philosophy are: contract theory, the transition from the state of nature to civil society, private property, the division of power, and the legitimacy of government resistance to attacks that threaten individual freedoms. Locke believes that the state of nature is peaceful, characterized by freedom and equality for all. Men will remain in that state until they decide to establish a covenant.
Through the pact, men relinquish part of their freedom. In short, they give up certain aspects of executive and legislative power but do not give up all their freedom.
Through the covenant, civil society emerges. The advantages are:
- Men have a law
- A judicial system is established
- Private property is preserved
Through the pact, an assembly is formed, and a government is elected that holds political power. Ensuring that there is no abuse of power lies in a strict division of it into three distinct areas:
- The Legislature has to respond to the confidence placed in it and respect the natural moral law.
- The Executive is responsible for carrying out legislative mandates.
- The Federal Power is responsible for national security and foreign relations.
The Right of Resistance is a means to reflect the monarch and to ensure respect for the law. In short, it is a call for prudence and commitment. Rebellion is justified when the monarch or the legislature acts in a manner contrary to its purpose.
Rousseau and the Democratic State
Rousseau believes that in his natural state, man was good, happy, and free. The “noble savage” lived healthily, guided by self-love and nature.
In his *Discourse on the Origin and Foundation of Inequality Among Men*, Rousseau launches a harsh criticism of political institutions as the great corruptors of the innocence and natural goodness of man. He discusses the transition from the state of nature to the social state as a degeneration, a product of social inequalities that arise with private property. The laws established in any society are always laws that defend the powerful.
Private property and the law have created a chasm between these two classes: the class of owners and the class of non-owners. This situation must be overcome. In *The Social Contract*, Rousseau proposes a remedy for this degeneration: “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Social injustice and class differences can be overcome not only through education but also by transforming the social order without violence.
Men should establish a new contract, which is a compact between individuals. The new social contract is a covenant between the community and the individual. Sovereignty must emanate from the general will.