Question

Read the following excerpt from a book written by John Locke. Briefly summarize the passage and explain the impact these ideas had on countries around the world during the 18th and 19th centuries. Give specific examples of these ideas' impact in two different parts of the world.

a) The passage emphasizes the importance of government consent and property rights. Locke's ideas influenced the American and French Revolutions.
b) The passage discusses the role of government in individuals' lives. Locke's ideas had a profound impact on the Industrial Revolution in England.
c) The passage highlights the power of absolute monarchs. Locke's ideas were crucial in the formation of constitutional monarchies in Europe.
d) The passage focuses on the need for a strong central government. Locke's ideas shaped the rise of authoritarian regimes in Asia.

Answer 1

John Locke's writing detailed the concept of social contract and government's duty to protect the rights of the people. These ideas similarly influenced revolutions and the establishment of constitutional governments in both America and France during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt from a book by John Locke discusses the purpose and origin of government in relation to human beings. Locke believed that governments are created by people and not by divine right. He theorized that individuals consent to be governed in exchange for the government's protection of their lives, liberty, and property. This is known as the social contract theory. If the government fails to protect these rights, the social contract is broken, giving people the justification to overthrow and form a new government.

Locke's theories on government consent and property rights had profound impacts during the 18th and 19th centuries, significantly influencing the formation of constitutional governments around the world. In America, Locke’s ideas were instrumental in shaping the American Revolution and influenced the creation of the U.S. Constitution. Similarly, his ideas contributed to the ethos of the French Revolution, promoting Enlightenment ideals such as 'liberté, égalité, and fraternité' (liberty, equality, and brotherhood) that drove the movement to remove the absolute monarchy in France and establish a constitutional or republican government.