Locke’s Political Theory: Social Contract and Liberalism
Locke’s Liberal Pact and Political Theory
Locke’s political theory shares similarities with Hobbes’ but stands as an antithesis to absolutism. For Locke, the origin and legitimacy of the state stem from a pact among individuals forming society. This contract, which legitimizes the state, doesn’t involve surrendering personal rights, contrasting with absolutist theories. Locke aims to justify personal rights, such as subsistence and private property, from a liberal perspective. The state, in this view, is subordinate to individual interests.
The Social Contract According to Locke
Locke’s concept of the state of nature differs significantly from Hobbes’. In Locke’s view, individuals in this state possess natural rights, including subsistence and health, alongside freedom and equality. However, the mere existence of these rights doesn’t guarantee their respect.
The Purpose of the Pact
The purpose of the social contract is to ensure compliance with these rights. According to Locke, when individuals decide to form a society, they don’t relinquish their rights to a sovereign. Instead, they empower governors to protect those rights.
The Liberal State
From this covenant arises the representative state. Rulers serve individuals, who cede some freedom for the authority to protect their rights. If the sovereign fails in this function, the people have the right to insurrection and to annul the covenant.
The Division of Powers
To avoid royal absolutism, Locke advocates for the division of powers, as concentrating power leads to abuse and corruption. He distinguishes three types of power:
- Legislative: Parliament makes the laws.
- Executive: The monarch enforces the law and penalties for breaches.
- Federal: Establishing alliances and ruptures.
Locke’s Empirical Epistemology
Locke believed that scientific progress is limited without a clear understanding of human understanding’s possibilities and capacities. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding is a foundational work of empiricism. Its value lies in establishing the principle that reason isn’t infallible or completely autonomous but works with the material of experience.
Origin of Our Ideas
According to Locke, we can only access and understand the world through our representations of it. These ideas are the basic content with which our understanding works. Crucially, Locke argues that there are no innate ideas. The mind at birth is a blank slate gradually filled with information. All knowledge comes from experience, either directly or indirectly.
- Simple Ideas: These are indivisible and derived directly from experience, either through sensation (external experiences like the color red) or reflection (internal experiences).
- Complex Ideas: These, like the idea of a rainbow, result from the combination and union of simple ideas by the understanding.
The Idea of Substance
Locke describes substance as a complex idea resulting from the understanding’s combination of simple ideas. For example, the sour taste accompanying the fleshy sensation leads us to call it an orange. Locke questions the idea of substance as a support. Substance as a substrate remains elusive and unknowable. Although we can’t directly experience substances, Locke doesn’t entirely reject their existence, acknowledging that common sense dictates we believe in realities that cause our experiences.