Question

Why is the government established, according to Locke? What type of government does Locke describe? Under what circumstances can the people revolt?

Option 1: The government is established to protect individual rights. Locke describes a constitutional government. People can revolt when they disagree with tax policies.
Option 2: The government is established to control and subjugate the people. Locke describes an absolute monarchy. People can revolt whenever they choose.
Option 3: The government is established to suppress individual freedoms. Locke describes a theocracy. People can never revolt.
Option 4: The government is established to protect natural rights. Locke describes a social contract government. People can revolt when the government infringes upon their rights.

Answer 1

Locke posits that government is established to protect natural rights through a social contract, giving the people the right to revolt if the government infringes upon these rights. This aligns with Option 4, where the government protects life, liberty, and property, and revolt is justified when these are threatened.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to John Locke, government is established to protect natural rights. Locke describes a social contract government, where individuals consent to govern in exchange for the government's protection of their natural rights, including life, liberty, and property. He believed that people enter into this contract to create a society governed by law, where individual freedoms are secured through a representative government that serves the interests of the people. Such a government ensures that the rights and privileges of citizens are protected.

Locke identified a legitimate government as one that gains authority through the consent of the governed and is duty-bound to protect the people's natural rights. When the government fails to uphold its end of the social contract, by infringing upon the rights of the individuals, it loses its legitimacy. Under such circumstances, the people have the right to revolt and establish a new government that will fulfill its protective role.

Therefore, among the provided options, Option 4 is correct: The government is established to protect natural rights. Locke describes a social contract government. People can revolt when the government infringes upon their rights.