John Locke On The Chief End of Government

by Steve Farrell

Liberty Letters, Volume 1, No. 14, Locke

One of the great thinkers whose writings had a significant influence on the American Founding generation was John Locke (1632 – 1704), English physician and philosopher.

On the subject of private property his was a comprehensive view that incorporated man’s “lives, liberties, and Estates” under “the general name, Property.”

With this comprehensive view in mind, Locke explained that man’s liberties are his possession as much as his possessions are a function of his liberties. Political society’s greatest duty, purpose, and end, therefore, is simply to preserve property. Failing at this, it truly fails.

Indeed, Locke continues, “whatever invades the Fundamental Law of Property … subverts the end of Government.”

I’ll leave it up to the reader as to whether or not government schemes that forcibly redistribute wealth from one group to another promote or subvert the end of government.

Steve Farrell is one of the original pundits at Silver Eddy Award Winner, NewsMax.com (1999-2008), associate professor of political economy at George Wythe University, the author of the highly praised inspirational novel “Dark Rose,” and president of the Latter-day Center for Moral Liberalism.

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