John Locke Essays -- Empiricists, Empiricism

John Locke believes that earthly concern ought to clear more freedom in policy-making order of magnitude than John Stuart hang around does. John Lockes The Second Treatise of Govern custodyt and John Stuart Mills On Liberty are influential and potent literary works which while outlining the conceptual framework of each thinkers ideal state present two divergent visions of the very nature of man and his freedom. John Locke and John Stuart Mill have divergent views regarding how much freedom man ought to have in political society because they have different views regarding mans basic potential for inherently good or deplorable behavior, as well as the ends or purpose of political societies. In order to examine how each thinker views man and the freedom he ought to have in political society it is necessary to define freedom or liberty from each philosophers perspective. In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke states his belief that all men exist in "a state of perfe ct freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without intercommunicate leave or depending upon the will of any early(a) man. " (Locke 4) Locke believes that man exists in a state of nature and thus exists in a state of rumbustious liberty which has only the law of nature to restrict it, which is reason. (Locke 5) However Locke does state that man does not have the license to destroy himself or any other creature in his possession unless a legitimate purpose requires it. Locke emphasizes the ability and opportunity to own and profit from property as being necessary to be free. In On Liberty John Stuart Mill defines liberty in relation to three spheres each successive sphere progressively encompasses and defines more elements relating to political society. The first sphere consists of the individuals "inward domain of consciousness demanding liberty of conscious in the most comprehens ive sense liberty of thought and feeling commanding freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological." (Mill 13) The second sphere of Mills definition encompasses the general freedoms which allow an individual to freely peruse a "...life to suit our own character of doing as we like..." (Mill 13). Mill also states that these freedoms must not be interfered with by "fellow crea... ...ave left an ineradicable mark on the concept of freedom in political societies. John Locke favours greater freedom for man in political society than does John Stuart Mill does. Their beliefs regarding the nature of man and the purpose of the state are bound to their respective views regarding freedom because one position perpetuates and demands a conclusion regarding another. Locke system for dealing with man freedom and all other related matters severely limits the role of state to strictly guaranteeing individual freedom. T his is the best method of preventing the perversion and abuse of the role and mogul of the state. Locke views simply stem from his faith in man and his potential to succeed independently, which collectively promotes the prosperity of the state. Mill does not implicitly trust or suspicion man and therefore does not explicitly limit freedom, in fact he does define freedom in very liberal terms, however he does leave the potential for unlimited intervention into the personal freedoms of the individual by the state. This nullifies any freedoms or rights individuals are said to have because they subject to the whims and fancy of the state. from ksampsonmustang.uwo.ca