Final answer:
John Locke argued that the purpose of government was to protect the natural rights of the people, including life, liberty, and property. This protection was based on a social contract between the people and the government, where people consented to be ruled in exchange for their rights being protected. If the government failed to fulfill its duty, the people had the right to overthrow it.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Locke argued that the purpose of government was to protect the natural rights of the people, which he believed included life, liberty, and property. He theorized that government was created by a social contract, where people give up a small portion of their freedom in exchange for protection from the government. According to Locke, if the government abused its power and violated the rights of the people, the people had the right to remove or overthrow that government.