Similarities Between Locke And Rousseau

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these laws. He also states that any individual who wishes to live in a civilized society must be willing to give up some of his sovereignty. If an individual were to refuse and break those laws, then that person shall submit to a punishment fitting of his crime. He also explains that any individual has the right to claim reparations from the person who has wronged them. Any additional persons who wish to support the injured are welcome to do so as stated in “may also join with the injured party and help him to recover from the offender such damages as may make satisfaction for the harm he has suffered.” Through the state of nature, Locke addresses the characteristics of a political society governed by a liberal government. He believes that no person has authority over another and that natural law helps to make all people equal. This theory includes the assumption that natural law is based on a set of rights to which everyone has equal access to. Another condition to the social contract which allows individuals to live free of conflict are property rights. Locke considers …show more content…
Over the years, Rousseau also published a piece of work which addressed private property. He associates property with the term armour-propre which means vanity, and that it acts as both a curse and a cure for the pain it has brought upon mankind. The theory gives rise to zero-sum competitions where people aspire to be the best. Rousseau argues that no one wins these competitions because everyone’s morality has become corrupted. The winner becomes vain while the losers remain spiteful and envious. Scholars have come to agree with Rousseau’s concept oh human emotions and state that armour-propre are a necessary condition for many positive aspects such as civic virtue. They believe that Rousseau’s social philosophy has shed some light on how we all experience