John Locke-Slavery - 828 Words

The views of John Locke on the topic of slavery vary drastically from the actual events that took place in the United States. The experiences of Fredrick Douglas give truth to this statement. In Locke s Second Treatise of Government, he expresses the freedom that all men should have as long as they abide by the common rule of the society. In actuality, slaves may have done nothing wrong, but their freedom was still taken away from them. John Locke believed slavery should be a form of punishment for those who committed a crime worthy of death and anyone who committed such a crime should become a slave. Fredrick Douglas teaches us that what really took place in the United States was an unfair practice of kidnapping, then buying and†¦show more content†¦There for, anyone could become a slave, regardless of race, gender, or ethnic background. The only stipulation was age and mental stability. Locke believed that children and the mentally disabled were unable to understa nd exactly what they were doing when committing a crime, and there for, should not suffer the consequences of their actions like grown adults who were able to think clearly. According to Douglas s first hand account, only male and female African Americans of various ages were subject to slavery in the United States during this time period. Instead of enslaving individuals for a specific reason, African Americans were forced into slavery based solely on the color of their skin. Another distinction between Locke s theory and Douglas s experience was the manner in which people were enslaved. Locke believed that if a man committed a crime so horrific that he deserved death as his punishment, his death should be delayed and he should first be used as a slave and be made to take orders from his enslaver. Slavery, in Locke s eyes, only reared its ugly face when someone actually deserved it as his or her punishment. This, however, did not take place in the United States. Douglas expr esses the fact that slaves were often innocent of any crimes. They were men, women, and children unexpectedly taken from their homes and sent to slave prisons. Then, they were shipped to auctions and slave-markets; most separated from their families. Often, theShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke S Justification Of Slavery953 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Locke`s Justification Of Slavery This paper examines Locke`s stand on the state of nature, the state of war, and his reasoning behind the justification of slavery. I am here to prove that Locke`s position on slavery was intended to relieve absolute power from the monarchy, and transfer more of the power into the wealthy and educated people of his own social economic background. In order to accomplish this task, the rest of the essay unfolds in three parts: Part One states and explains Locke`sRead MoreA Utopian Society By John Locke1257 Words   |  6 Pagesleads John Locke to create a utopian society, which is a perfect or ideal society. John Locke attempts to create a utopian society in his Second Treatise of Government in the following three ways: his desire for the equality of men and women; his perspective on slavery; and his beliefs on property. John Locke’s attempt to create a utopian society comprises of his desire for the equality of both men and women. In Chapter 6, John Locke discusses the division of power within a household. Locke comesRead MoreUtopian Society Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Locke points to man’s natural tendency to become a part of a society, and most commonly these societies also have governments which maintain order and protect the people under the said government. 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