John Locke - Government by Consent - Research Proposal Example

?John Locke---Government by Consent Module Module ID: The present paper aims to elucidate the notion Government by Consent, in the light of the arguments made by Locke on the one side, and by examining it by making its comparative analysis with the contemporary era democratic structure of England. The notion above-mentioned serves as the founding principle of political thought articulated by distinguished seventeenth century English philosopher John Locke in his Second Treatise of Government (1690), which maintains profound significance in its nature and scope with regards to the human civil rights under a democratic political system. The following hypotheses have been developed for the present study: Active participation of the members of society in the political procedure (independent variable) would ensure the safeguarding of their rights and privileges (dependent variable) under a democratic government The masses’ taking keen interest in the political activities (independent variable) may overthrow a corrupt regime by bringing revolution against irregularities and malpractices exercised by a political administration (dependent variable) Since the present study comes under the fold of basic research, the hypotheses will be tested by seeking support from the pages of history elaborating the rise and fall of the various British governments. Being a vast topic, two political governments i.e. the Conservative Party (1979-1997) and Labour Party Administration (1997-2010) will be analysed by paying concentration upon the reasons behind the rise and fall of both the governments described-above. In addition, the paper will also emphasise upon the political conventions and traditions established and got popular during 17th century, along with describing the features of the political establishment during Locke’ era. After the research process, the data gathered from the books, journals and periodicals will be arrayed, and analysed for the interpretation of results, in the light of which the hypotheses will be accepted or rejected accordingly. Introduction: History is replete with the debates and discussions conducted on the topic of whether humans have been granted with the free consent and rights regarding the freedom of thought and action or they are bound to submit to some monarchical political authority appointed by Nature for dominating over them without taking their consent into least considerations.1 Great philosophers of all ages and all regions including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Descartes, Nietzsche, Kant, Hobbes, Leibniz, Hume and others have articulated their hypotheses while defining and determining human rights of the work of Nature.2 Until now, even in an age where democracy is widely embraced, important issues about how exactly people surrender their rights and allow themselves to be subjected to political control and about how many people in a particular area have really undergone, this process appears to be remaining unresolved. Although any number of people can form a political community, Locke is ready to argue that all adult individuals residing in England in the latter part of the 17th century have in some way by means of ‘consent’ could become subject to England’s traditional laws.3 However, to advance this argument Locke has to present several quite reckless assumptions about the nature of empowering consent attributed to the adults of England belonging to his era. One of the most dominant aspects described by Locke in his theory of ‘government by consent’ includes the membership of the adults, which decides and determines the rights and privileges to the adult members of society, including freedom and liberty as well as their direct or indirect participation in the political process. Locke is of the view that if the masses take indirect participation in the political activities, they would have to surrender (few of) their individual and collective rights to the political authority out of their free consent.4 However, scholars had difficulties establishing what Locke really attempts to convey about how people should surrender their rights and allow themselves to be subjected to political control. And this confusion may be clarified by analysing how Locke views membership to a political society. In order to have a more concrete knowledge of what he meant by membership, it is vital to put the issue into actual context, that is, finding out the forms of membership different countries have adopted over time, and the outcome of these different forms of membership for these different political societies. Nevertheless, the membership could be attained, as Locke submits to state between the lines, on the basis of the age of the individuals. In other words, as Locke argues, the adult individuals of English society would be the members; so obtaining the membership is certainly dependent of the age of the individuals in general. This study would be able to generate accurate knowledge of what form of membership guarantees the greatest liberty for citizens in a consent-based government. Research Questions: The present study aims to explore the following research questions: In addition to this, the paper is also interested in exploring the advantages and disadvantages of the peoples’ surrendering their rights for their collective benefits. Had their no advantages for the people in relinquish the claims to their rights and privileges to the political authorities, the democratic political system could have not obtained the popularity at any cost, which it has attained for the last few decades in almost all parts of the globe. (1) Which of the political societies have adopted membership through land or property ownership; (2) Which of the political societies have adopted membership through express consent or declaration; and (3) Which form of membership has granted citizens greater liberty or freedom? These are important issues to address in order to clarify Locke’s complex account of government by consent. Theoretical Framework Every research is supported with some theoretical frameworks, which turn out to be helpful in respect of providing with a better understanding of the phenomenon under consideration. The present study will discuss Locke’s Law of Nature, and Consent to Government, along with Utilitarianism Theory articulated by J. S. Mill (1972). Research Methodology The researcher aims to conduct a non-experimental qualitative study on the topic selected for the present research. The study will be carried out by exploring various materials on political philosophy and the Locke’s perspective. In addition, the books and materials, on the democratic governmental system, will also be consulted. Hence, Content Analyses will be applied for the exploration of the present study. Universe: Books, periodicals, journals and lectures on political philosophy will be the Universe for the present study, for which the material will be explored on the disciplines of history, political philosophy, political science, international relations, constitutional law and political economy. Sampling: Six FGDs will be conducted on the basis of the above-mentioned disciplines related to the democratic political establishments. Every focus group will be comprised of 7 to 9 experts, which will be invited to give vent to their ideas with regards to their favourite and non-favourite political systems by explaining their prospects and perils. Research Instrument: Since the qualitative research concentrates upon the open-ended questions, the content analysis will be formulated by studying the comparative constitutions and political systems, which have been in vogue in various parts of the world. Literature Review Locke explains two differences that are designed to serve an enlightening function in his principle of consent. The first difference is between consent which establishes a person as ‘a member of political society’ and consent which only subjects a person to the laws of the government which controls the area where in a person lives.5 The second difference is between ‘tacit’ and ‘express’ consent.6 It is reasonable to believe that Locke’s belief is that only express consent establishes a person as a member of society, and, thereby, under the control of the law, whilst only tacit consent simply subjects a person to the law. Nevertheless, Locke’s real perspective is more complex and more perplexed than this. This complexity and misunderstanding is brought about by the reality that Locke has two distinct ideas of membership in society. The first is associated with a person’s possession of land or property that has become eternally connected to a specific political society; the second idea is associated with ‘express declaration’ of and ‘actual agreement’ to membership in a political society.7 Locke embarks on his explanation of consent by arguing that every time a property-owner or landlord acquires membership in a political society that person appropriates a section to his will which stipulates that any inheritors of that land or property also gains membership in that society. A father has no power, by means of his own consent, to guarantee his children’s membership in any society. Nevertheless, a father could, “... annex such conditions to the land, he enjoyed as a subject of any common-wealth, as may oblige his son to be of that community, if he will enjoy those possessions which were his father’s...”8 Yet, Locke also argues that people who have membership in a political society on the basis of their ownership of land can renounce that political society by dissociating themselves of their property: ... whenever the owner, who has given nothing but such a tacit consent to government will, by donation, sale, or otherwise, quite the said possession, he is at liberty to go and incorporate himself into any other common-wealth; or to agree with others to begin a new one...9 On the contrary, if a person’s membership results from express consent, that person cannot, on his/her own, invalidate that membership: ... he, that has once, by actual agreement, and any express declaration, given his consent to any common-wealth, is perpetually and indispensably obliged to be, and remain unalterably a subject to it, and can never be again in the liberty of the state of nature; unless, by any calamity, the government he was under comes to be dissolved; or else by some public act cuts him off from being any longer a member of it.10 If a person acquires membership in a political society through express declaration, his/her membership will be invalidated only if the government which that political society has built is demolished or deposed by that society.11 Being a member of the political society through express declaration is being a permanent subject of that society. Indicative Bibliography Ariew, Roger. Modern Philosophy (New York: Hackett Publishing Co. Second Edition, 2011), 21-191. ISBN: 9780872209787 Lloyd, D.A. Lloyd. Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Locke on Government. New York: Routledge, 1995. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government: And, A Letter Concerning Toleration. New York: Digireads.com Publishing, 2005. Mack, Eric. John Locke. New York: Continuum, 2009. Morgan, Michael. Classics of Moral and Political Theory. New York: Hackett Publishing, 2011. Porter, Jene M. Classics in Political Philosophy (New York: Pearson, 3rd Edition, 2000), 24-26. Wood, Ellen Meiksins. Liberty and Property: A Social History of Western Political Thought from the Renaissance to Enlightenment. New York: Verso Books, 2012. Kothari, C.R. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques (New York: New Age International, 2004) Panneerselvam, R. Research Methodology (New York: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., 2004), 17, 582 Read More