Natural Equality And Civil Society Essays - Social Inequality

Natural Equality And Civil Society Natural Equality and Civil Society According to John Locke in his Second Treatise of Government, natural equality is an essential component of the state of nature; the ?state of nature' being one of peace, tranquility, and equality, where there is no common power guided by reason. However, the lack of common power also supplies an inconvenience for the state of nature? the aptitude to fall into a state of war with no means to escape it. To avoid this inconvenience, Locke finds it a necessity to form civil society ruled by a common authority of law. For a such government to preserve its legitimacy, the transition into civil society must maintain some degree of equality. The origination of property, the introduction of money, and furthermore the practice of slavery are three reasons certain aspects of natural equality are sacrificed in the conversion to civil society. To assess the extent of loss of natural equality, we must first come to understand what Locke's definition of equality is: A state of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank, promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same faculties, should be equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection.. . . [pg.8] When one knows Locke's definition of equality, the mere existence of property subtracts from our natural equality. Let us examine the origins of property. Locke suggests the origin of property is of God, pointing to the 115th Psalm verse 16 of the Old Testament, . . .God, as king David says, ?. . .has given the earth to the children of men; given it to mankind in common. [pg.18] Even though God has given the earth to all humankind in common, Locke believes that humankind, bearing God given reason, has the right to use the earth to his/her best advantage of life, and convenience.[pg 18] Here lies the problem. If all human beings are to use the earth to their ?best advantage' and the earth is the common property of all, someone somewhere will have conflicting interests with another human being over the possession of some thing. The only remedy is to sacrifice his/her equality by consent (It is not likely that one would surrender equality to another) OR to enter a ?state of war.' The on ly protection against the state of war in John Locke's opinion is to enter into civil society governed by a common authority. By taking this measure, Locke insists humankind can better protect itself against war and preserve the right to enjoy what one possesses, . . . because no political society can be, nor subsist, without having in itself the power to preserve the property [pg. 18]. Entering civil society requires handing over one's executive rights and submitting to a common authority by law. So, according to Locke's definition of equality, giving up one's natural executive rights means natural equality is no longer truly existent. Though we are all still ?born to the same advantages of nature', and we still ?share the same faculties', and we still do not gain the right to ?subordinate' another human being, we consent to subordinate our personal freedoms and liberties to a common law for our own welfare. By consenting to this authority, we eliminate total natural equality, giving away the power over our own lives. In addition, true equality asserts that no man is superior to another. But, to legitimize possessions is to institute a means for subordination, in that an individual who is the sole possessor of a good or service has dominion over the use of that good or service. Under this system of possession, where one individual has dominion over one good, and a separate individual has possession over a separate but equally desirable good, the individuals must establish trade with one another to enjoy the exclusive property of the other. In the instance that we are without an equally desirable good, we must have some other medium of trade? currency? in order to obtain the ownership or use of a property possessed by another. The introduction of