Locke's Two Treatises of Government › The Social Contract: Government by Consent

::: {.callout-note title="Social Contract"} The agreement by which individuals leave the state of nature and form political society. For Locke, this contract is based on consent and creates a government with limited powers, specifically to protect natural rights. ::: Government arises through consent. People agree to leave the state of nature and form a political community. They give up certain natural powers, especially the power to enforce natural law on their own, in exchange for the security that organized government provides. For Locke, this consent is the sole source of legitimate political authority. No one is born a subject. No one inherits an obligation to obey. Authority exists only because people have agreed to it. > Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent. The social contract creates two distinct things: political society (the community of citizens) and government (the institutions that exercise power). Government serves political society, not the other way around. If government fails in its duties, political society can replace it. What exactly do people consent to? Not unlimited government. They agree to be bound by majority rule within a framework that protects their fundamental rights. They authorize government to make and enforce laws, but only laws that serve the public good, specifically the protection of life, liberty, and property. ::: {.callout-tip title="Practical Application"} When evaluating any government policy, ask: Does this serve to protect the natural rights of citizens? A policy that systematically violates life, liberty, or property, even if enacted through proper procedures, exceeds the legitimate bounds of governmental authority. :::