“The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences - the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought to take the place of, indeed exclude, in a manner, all other arts. I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.” John Adams The Means and End of Government: Locke was not against Government; in fact he was in favor of it, so long as it existed at the will of the people: “The end of government is the good of mankind; and which is best for mankind, that the people should always be exposed to the boundless will of tyranny, or that the rulers should be sometimes liable to be opposed when they grow exorbitant in the use of their power, and employ it for the destruction, and not the preservation, of the properties of their people?”(Locke 3). Thus it was up to the people to elect a government that they though fit. He believed that because the society would vote for their Representatives, that they must weigh both sides before voting, and that “those who give their votes before they hear the debate, and have [not] weighed the reasons on all sides, are not capable of doing.”(Locke 2). Locke’s final argument is who shall be the judge of when a government is abusing its power, and is acting “contrary to their trust.” When this question was brought before Locke (most likely brought by himself), he replied that “The people shall be judge; for who shall be judge whether his trustee or deputy acts well and according to the trust reposed in him…”(Locke 4). In other words, who better to judge the integrity of a Representative, than those who voted for that certain integrity? (Sawyer A. Theriault)
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 02:36:21 +0000
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