John Locke – Liberalism, Revolution & Comparative Analysis
UPSC PSIR | Western Political Thinkers | Advanced Analytical Notes
1️⃣ LOCKE vs HOBBES
- Hobbes → State of war
- Locke → State of peace under natural law
- Hobbes → Absolute sovereignty
- Locke → Limited constitutional government
- Hobbes → No rebellion
- Locke → Right to revolution
Locke softens Hobbesian pessimism and builds liberal democracy.
2️⃣ LOCKE vs ROUSSEAU
- Locke → Protection of property
- Rousseau → Critique of private property
- Locke → Individual rights focus
- Rousseau → Collective general will
Locke emphasizes liberty through limited state; Rousseau emphasizes freedom through popular sovereignty.
3️⃣ LOCKE & LIBERALISM
Locke is considered father of liberal political theory.
- Individual rights
- Consent of governed
- Constitutionalism
- Rule of law
Influenced American and French Revolutions.
4️⃣ PROPERTY & CAPITALISM (CRITIQUE)
C.B. Macpherson criticizes Locke as defender of capitalist individualism.
Marxist critique:
- Property rights reinforce inequality.
- Labor theory justifies accumulation.
5️⃣ LOCKE & MODERN DEMOCRACY
- Constitutional government
- Checks and balances
- Human rights framework
- Limited executive authority
Modern constitutional democracies reflect Lockean principles.
6️⃣ CRITICISMS
- Property-centric theory
- Exclusion of women & poor
- Colonial implications
- Ambiguity in consent theory
7️⃣ MODEL 20-MARK STRUCTURE
Introduction: Locke as founder of liberal constitutionalism.
Main Argument: Natural rights & limited government.
Comparative Insight: Contrast with Hobbes & Rousseau.
Critical Debate: Property & capitalist critique.
Conclusion: Locke as intellectual architect of modern democracy.
FINAL CONSOLIDATION MAP
- Natural law
- Life, liberty, property
- Trustee government
- Right to revolution
- Foundation of liberalism
“Where there is no law, there is no freedom.”
Shaktimatha Learning – Western Thinkers Advanced Series
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