1. Natural Rights
John Locke’s Legacy

2. Natural Rights
Natural Rights are rights that all people are born with – these rights are ours as human beings
These rights are also referred to as “inalienable”
These rights can never be taken or given away
These rights are often interpreted as the right to life, liberty, and property (or the pursuit of happiness)
These rights are now enshrined in the Declaration of Independence

3. John Locke
Famous English philosopher who wrote about natural rights in his book, Two Treatises of Civil Government
Locke believed that the main purpose of government is to protect people’s natural rights
Locke’s ideas were very well-known and accepted in the American colonies

4. State of Nature
Locke feared what life would be like if their were no government to protect people’s rights – he called this a “state of nature”
Locke recognized that in a “state of nature” people are free to do whatever they want, but at the same time – their rights would not be protected and this would cause people to feel insecure

5. The Social Contract
Locke’s solution to the state of nature: the social contract
Locke argued that people should agree to give up some of their freedom in exchange for protection and security
They should agree to follow laws because these laws would protect them and all others
This agreement is a Social Contract (also called a Social Compact)

6. The Social Contract
In the Social Contract, people agree to create a government to rule them and also to protect their natural rights
The people consent to obey the laws of that government as long as it continues to protect their natural rights
If the government ever attempts to take away or limit their rights, the people have the right to overthrow that government
Locke believed that people should be free to make their own choices as long as they do not interfere with the liberty of others.

7. Key Facts about Natural Rights
The natural rights that Locke referred to as “life, liberty, and property” became “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson would use Locke’s theory to prove that the government in England was violating the natural rights of colonists, and that revolution was necessary
By property, Locke was referring not only to land and physical possessions, but also the ownership of one’s self

8. The Enlightenment
The era in which Locke’s ideas and the American movement for independence came about is called the “Enlightenment”. People used reason and science to explain human behavior. People looked to discover these “laws of nature” in order to improve the lives of people.