Social Contract Theory of Locke:
Locke has propounded his social contract theory in his book ‘Two Treatises of the Government’, in which he advocated limited monarchy.
Locke’s social contract theory can be explained under following points:
1. Expansion of human nature:
Locke considers man to be basically a thoughtful and intelligent creature. According to him, man naturally has virtues like love, sympathy, kindness, co – operation, helpfulness, etc.
2. Explanation of state of Nature:
According to Locke, state of nature was peaceful because of man being kind and reasonable. All the men were equal in state of nature. This was a state of freedom. There were no chaos because all the people followed natural laws and laws of morality, but they explained natural laws according to their own will and reason. They behaved with each other according to natural feelings of wrong – right, good – bad or religious – irreligious. In chaotic and natural state, all men had three types of rights – right to life, right to freedom and right to property. Man used these rights in such a way that the rights of other men did not get restricted.
3. Reason of Contract:
According to Locke, man had three discomforts in the natural state:
- There was no institution for explaining the natural laws.
- There was no authorized institution for executing the natural laws.
- There was no impartial institution for justice. Man entered into the contract to get rid of these discomforts.
4. Origin and Nature off Contract:
Men created the institution of state by ending the state of nature, and it was done by social contract.
Man entered into two contracts:
- Among themselves
- With the government.
All the men were equal in the state of nature, so first contract was made among the people. Society and state were created by this contract. By this contract, every person became ready to surrender their natural rights on the condition that he would himself not do the work of explaining and executing the natural laws and would not do the judgement and punish the defaulters.
Through this contract, he gave the responsibility of life, liberty and property to the society and kept the rest of the rights with himself. Anyone who would disobey these laws, would be punished by the society. Second contract was made to fulfill this purpose. This contract took place between government and society or people.
As government was one party of this contract, so society imposed some conditions on the government. If the government failed to fulfill those conditions, then that government would be dismissed and new govt would be made. Thus, by giving acceptance to public rebellion or right to public revolution, the concept of Limited Monarchy was propounded.
