Final answer:
John Locke imagined the state of nature as a condition of complete freedom where individuals have natural rights and own land through their labour. He believed a social contract would be formed to create a government that protects these rights and ensures peace, despite the potential for conflicts over wealth.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Locke's View on the State of Nature
John Locke, the English philosopher, envisioned the state of nature as a situation of complete liberty where individuals possess natural rights such as life, liberty, and property without governmental interference. Locke's perspective was that humans, being rational and subject to natural laws, would act in their self-interest, leading to an arrangement where land ownership arises from labour and does not harm the prosperity of others. He believed the natural rights predate government, and despite the potential for disputes over these rights, individuals would form a social contract to establish a government to protect these rights and maintain peace and security.
In this scenario, people in the state of nature would own land by mixing it with their labor and would be entitled to punish those who infringe upon anyone's natural rights. While Locke predicted that jealousy and conflicts over wealth might arise, he also argued that a civil society and government would emerge from a voluntary agreement—an expression of the collective rationality and desire for peace and security among people.