Crusoe’s Island as an Allegorical Expression of Locke’s...

Alexander Wilson Dr. Victoria Myers GSHU III 10 November 2011 Crusoe’s Island as an Allegorical Expression of Locke’s Theories on Property and Government Two prolific writers captured what was pressing to the economic and political zeitgeist of 18th century England. John Locke’s ideas on property influenced readers like Thomas Jefferson who would be a prolific politician involved in the founding of the United States. Locke’s views on an individual’s right to property is discussed in his Second Treatise of Government. But what also are compelling to readers at the time were issues of independence in regards to morality. Reading Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, issues like these are discussed in a story about a prodigal son who becomes†¦show more content†¦Government retains consent so long as it protects individual’s rights, and most significantly an individual’s right to property. While in a state of nature, private property does not need to be protected, and a government is useless. When a government does not protect an individual’s property, it makes itself useless. So long as the accumulation of property does not harm other individuals or their freedom to accumulate property, it is morally justified to accumulate property. Locke believes that individuals who labor for their property justly own the rights to the property. Man also has the moral duty of not harming himself or others. Locke’s moral philosophy is one that is based on duty to your fellow man and to yourself. Locke recognizes that when land is left uncultivated or food is left to rot, those that possess them are not doing their duty and inflicting harm on others. When civil society is formed to protect an individual’s property, man gives consent to a just government if he feels that his right to property is protected. To Locke, individuals who labor have a right to sustain themselves and an economy is not morally justified unless it grants all laborers their rights to resources. An economy should be able to provide for all who labor in order for survival. People have the basic r ight to