Final answer:
Individuals may give up some natural rights in order to form a government as part of a social contract advocated by John Locke, which allows the collective protection of fundamental rights. The government's legitimacy arises from protecting these rights, and if it fails, citizens can modify or overturn the governing body.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is considered acceptable to give up some natural rights to establish a government because doing so can lead to the protection of those rights in a more effective way than in the state of nature. English philosopher John Locke described a social contract where individuals consent to surrender certain freedoms in exchange for the safeguarding of their fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property. Locke understood government as the result of a collective agreement to protect natural rights more efficiently than individuals could do on their own. This concept is at the heart of modern democracy, where the government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. When a government fails to protect these rights, the social contract theory holds that citizens have the right to alter or abolish it.
Locke's theory explains that the relinquishing of certain freedoms is not absolute and is conditional upon the government's performance in its primary role: to protect the inalienable rights of its citizens. Should the government overstep its mandate or fail to deliver its protective function, the social contract allows for the process of change or rebellion. This serves as a check on government's power and underpins the very foundations of democratic governmental systems around the world.