more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 19884

[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / C. Rights / 3. Alienating rights ]

Full Idea

Wherever any number of men so unite into one society as to quite every one his executive power of the law of Nature, and to resign it to the public, there and there only is a civil society.

Gist of Idea

There is only a civil society if the members give up all of their natural executive rights

Source

John Locke (Second Treatise of Government [1690], 089)

Book Ref

Locke,John: 'Two Treatises of Government' [Everyman 1988], p.160

A Reaction

This seems to mean that you must give up your active ('executive') natural rights, but not your passive ones (which are inviolable).

The 15 ideas with the same theme [people's choice to give up some rights]:

2369 If we seek peace and defend ourselves, we must compromise on our rights [Hobbes]
19918 Forming a society meant following reason, and giving up dangerous appetites and mutual harm [Spinoza]
19919 People only give up their rights, and keep promises, if they hope for some greater good [Spinoza]
19921 Once you have given up your rights, there is no going back [Spinoza]
19925 In democracy we don't abandon our rights, but transfer them to the majority of us [Spinoza]
19928 No one, in giving up their power and right, ceases to be a human being [Spinoza]
19929 Everyone who gives up their rights must fear the recipients of them [Spinoza]
19932 The early Hebrews, following Moses, gave up their rights to God alone [Spinoza]
19873 We all own our bodies, and the work we do is our own [Locke]
19884 There is only a civil society if the members give up all of their natural executive rights [Locke]
19794 If we all give up all of our rights together to the community, we will always support one another [Rousseau]
7241 In society man loses natural liberty, but gains a right to civil liberty and property [Rousseau]
19806 We alienate to society only what society needs - but society judges that, not us [Rousseau]
21084 In the contract people lose their rights, but immediately regain them, in the new commonwealth [Kant]
21065 You can't make a contract renouncing your right to make contracts! [Kant]