Locke’s Social Contract

You have read Locke’s Two Treatises on Government already. Let the questions below guide your thinking as you consider the implications for our Founding Fathers.

• How does the Founders’ view of power affect the framers’ reactions to John Locke?
• According to Locke, how does man enter the political society and what is the purpose of that society?
• What obligations does the government have in the civil society?
• What obligation does the individual have?
• How do Hobbes and Locke differ?
• Do you think Americans would agree with Locke?

Read the first paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. Does this add to the evidence you have to support your view? Now go to the M1 Tasks Folder>Documents Folder and study the chart Locke and the Declaration of Independence: Some Parallels and see if this is consistent with your thinking.