NationStates Jolt Archive


Does the right of possesion..

Celow
12-12-2004, 04:33
John Locke said that we have the right of possesion. He also said that if the government does not protect your rights you have the right to over throw the government. So if some one loses thier possesions to a thief, do they have the right to over throw the government, according to John Locke?
DemonLordEnigma
12-12-2004, 06:21
Wrong forum. This belongs in General.
Animal Control
13-12-2004, 01:48
:rolleyes: No, John means you have the right to posses things as an individual. As opposed to the collective state possesion model advocated by communism. Being robbed doesn't mean you overthrow the government. Unless of course it's the government doing the robbing, as in the nationalism of all property, then I think Locke would give you the go ahead.
Eichen
13-12-2004, 02:23
John Locke said that we have the right of possesion. He also said that if the government does not protect your rights you have the right to over throw the government. So if some one loses thier possesions to a thief, do they have the right to over throw the government, according to John Locke?
I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, and assuming you're attemting irony (or something along those lines).
Not that you've made an ass of yourself in just two sentences.
Your parents are wasting their money on your ISP? Return the Dell, dude. You've lost your priveleges.
Pure Metal
13-12-2004, 03:20
John Locke said that we have the right of possesion. He also said that if the government does not protect your rights you have the right to over throw the government. So if some one loses thier possesions to a thief, do they have the right to over throw the government, according to John Locke?
i would argue yes. Hobbes and Locke both argue that the state's (Leviathan's, in the former case) role is to prevent infringements on your natural rights - the rights of nature, whether given by god (Locke) or deontological (Hobbes). By robbing you, the state has failed to prevent an infringement on these rights to own property and the right to life. (Well the latter is a kind of infringement cos you may live in fear of your life if you get mugged a lot.)
That's why governements are not re-elected if bad things - like crime increasing - happen while that administration is in power. In less stable countries it can lead to a coup or rioting/rebellion.

However it can be said that Locke also argued that the best form of political society (cant rememebr if this is in the State of Nature or not) is one where everyone owns enough property to live - enough to survive or be content. Surely if other people are resorting to mugging you, that means that this society is not in place, and the muggings and crime are a concequence of that - individuals inadvertantly trying to correct this problem in society in a somewhat violent way.

man i feel like an intellectual for a change :)


edit: oops. if its sarcasm/irony then im gonna feel like a right tit. :p