Analysis of Parental Power: Second Treatise of Government Book by Authored John Locke - Essay Example

Parental Power Chapter VI of John Locke’s treatise discussed about paternal power on how it differentiates from monarchial power and also on how should children be governed. He begun his discussion by stating that all men are inherently equal but also acknowledged that there will be circumstances where some men will be above equal from the others by virtue of birth, study, age, etch but nevertheless are naturally free. Locke’s main argument about paternal power is grounded on his primacy of reason as the law or bond that govern and hold society together. Such that, albeit men are naturally born free and equal, they cannot regarded as equal until they have acquired freedom, that is reaching adulthood and maturity and being reasonable enough to understand what freedom is to become an equal. The modern mind can grasp the essense of Locke’s reasoning in his treatise about Paternal Power (except for his language which is quite tenacious) because it relates how a modern family works. Everybody is born free but the child, even born as a free person, still cannot take care of himself and therefore, has to be under the custody of parents to be nourished, care, support and educate until the child reaches maturity and capable of living his or her own life. Meanwhile, the child owe respect and honor to his or her parents. Origin It has to be understood that for Locke, the ultimate good is reason and therefore, man and society should strive to become reasonable. The treatise of John Locke’s Paternal Power began by first arguing that children are born into this state of natural freedom and equality but have not yet developed their faculties to become rationale and thus, cannot effectively dispense or practice such freedom and equality. For Locke, children can only exercise their natural freedom, that is to the freedom to choose without the restraint or imposition of another and to reasonably exercise freedom, when they reach their adulthood and maturity of which he suggested the age of 21. Until then, the child has to be under the parents custody where parents can exercise parental power over the child until the child can take care of his or her own. Such that when children have not yet reach this maturity to become rational to exercise freedom, they have to be under the care, guidance and protection of their parents. They may have been born as equals but until they have acquire their freedom, they cannot be an equal. In is important to stress that for Locke, the mother and father holds equal responsibility in parenting and exercise the same authority over the child for he despise absolutism. That is assigning sole power and responsibility to the husband which likened to a monarchy where all powers emanate from one man, without any restriction nor repercussion and therefore, is prone to abuse. Both of them therefore is obligated to nourish, support, educate and develop the child until he or she matured and is already capable of reason. Extent It is important to state that Locke put primacy on reason and that reason, governs all men and therefore all men should strive to be reasonable. And since children, being what they are, have not yet fully developed their faculties to be reasonable to exercise freedom and to be equal, has to be under the authority of a parent which in turn must provide guidance, protection care and support. Such that, until the children has reached maturity and reason, they cannot be free for they do not understand what freedom nor equality meant. Locke even demonstrated this to the extreme that even if an individual has grown up and yet grew up to be a fool or lunatic, he or she has to remain under the custody of parents because he or she does not know how to exercise such freedom nor be able to appreciate equality and therefore, cannot be left on his or her own. The child in turn has to submit to the parents and is obligated to honor and respect them. Locke explained the necessity of parents to exercise executive authority over the children by drawinga an analogy that throughout history, the necessity of parents exercising paternal power over the children is also a matter of necessity not only to develop , protect and govern the child but also to put order in the household which is extended to society thereby extending parental influences from the home to society at large which is held together by the law of reason. Without parental power, homes and the society at large could have been chaotic. This law of reason that defines freedom and equality does not mean that it restraint freedom of an individual to do as he or she will but rather to enable him or her to become an intelligent person to decide and do what is best suited for him or her, to society, to mankind and general without the imposition of another authority. Such, laws for Locke are not meant to restrict but rather to define freedom for without laws, there could be no freedom because freedom according to Locke is to act without being subjected to the power of another and to understand what it is and how to exercise it. End John Locke limited the power of parental power not to to child’s property actions or life while the child is still in the parent’s custody. That is, even if the parents can demand respect and honor from children, they being under their tutelage, this power is not absolute because parents do not have power over the life and death of children. Simply, the parents may command authority over the child but they cannot deprive them of their lives and property or kill or hurt them. In addition, when a child reaches maturity and capable to reason and prudently judge, the dominion of the parents over the child ceases because the child is now amongst free men, free to exercise freedom and equality. Work Cited “Parental Power” - SECOND TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT by JOHN LOCKE. Available at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm#CHAPTER_XIX. Retrieved 26 Mar. 2013 Read More