Essay on How Did John Locke Influence the Constitution

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Essay on How Did John Locke Influence the Constitution

Liberalism is comprised of eight core principles that define its outlook on everything from the role of the individual in society to social justice and the part the state plays in tolerance and equality (Goodwin, 2014). The father of liberalism is often seen to be John Locke, a political thinker who emphasized the idea of a social contract wherein all humans should not harm each other, or in his own words, ‘that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.’ (Locke, 1689). These principles laid out by John Locke in 1689 can be seen to dictate the liberal thinker’s attitude towards state intervention in the day-to-day activities of the common man. Goodwin (2014) suggests that many liberal politicians will advocate for the independence of the individual in society and the freedom of choice, religion, interests, and thought that this is theorized to bring to the individual and the populous as a whole. Locke (1689) emphasizes this point in his belief that society can still function in the absence of government and therefore the government and the state have no business interfering with the social life and private life of their people. These thoughts and ideas have influenced the politics of many countries across the world, namely inspiring the American Declaration of Independence. Alfred H. Kelly and Winfred A. Harbison (1963, p90) suggest that ‘Jefferson had … succeeded admirably in condensing Locke’s fundamental argument into a few hundred words.’ That fundamental argument being, ‘the natural equality and freedom of all men, and of the inherent rights which all men possess, and which they retain even after their entrance into ”a state of society.” (Kenneth D. Stern, 1966, p.189). This essay will look at the advantages and disadvantages of Locke and many other influential liberal thinkers’ ideas on the role of the state in our lives.

The role of a classical limited state could be described as a policeman, one who watches over a town by night, only interfering when a disturbance is seen to be taking place. This imaginary night policeman is bound by a code, a constitution if you will, that limits their power in reacting to and dealing with any perceived troubles that might arise. This ideal was most wholly collaborated into the Constitution of the United States which advocates for a limited state, split into three parts. These parts consist of Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. James Madison (1788) in the Federalist Papers, NO 45, suggests that the power of government should be limited internally by the American constitution itself and externally by the American people and their representatives through the electoral process. This can be seen to be a classic implementation of the notion of a limited state and its inclusion into a constitution which informs the conduct of its elected officials. An advantage of such a limited state can be seen in the freedom of speech, thought, and expression that citizens of the United States are granted by law. This is shown in the First Amendment of the Constitution which states; ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.’ (constitution)

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