John Locke Second Treatise on Government vs. Voltaire Candide Term Paper

John Locke Second Treatise on Government vs. Voltaire Candide - Term Paper Example Locke attempted to explain the reasons King James II was overthrown justifiably and why he was ascended by William III. He as well wanted to define the legal role of the civil government. He defined the role of the civil government as the political power and a right of law making which includes penalties of death and fewer penalties for regulating property as well as preserving them and employing forces of executing these laws, in defense of common wealth against foreign injury. This is all for the good of the public . On the other hand, Voltaire Candide is about Candide who grows in the province of Westphalia in Germany. He is made to believe that he lives in a world that is of the best quality . This belief starts to change when he started experiencing horrors of poverty, war, the hypocrisy that the church had and maliciousness of man. According to Locke, the government was in existence, among many other things, in order to promote the good of the public as well as to protect the property, liberty and life of its people. This is what is considered to being the main point of having a government and these are the purposes for its existence (Locke 12). For the above reasons, the people who run or govern are supposed to be voted in by the entire society. It is the right of the society to hold powers of instating another government when it is necessary. Locke believes that people are free by nature. This is the belief that founded his philosophy about the government. This is also supported by Voltaire Candide. He says that the government is supposed to be in existence in order to support the society and provide them with all they need. But according to Candide, this does not happen since the people having authority were corrupt and usually abused their powers. The society’s rights and freedom were not granted and they faced a lot of hardships. There are certain literary artifacts that were used in making the different points they had. Locke argues that in case the society is dissolved, it is also likely that the government will as well dissolve. He said that it is very impossible to have the frame of any house subsist and the materials that make it are jumbled into heaps that are confused by an earthquake4. The agreement of individuals to work as a single body is what makes up a society. If the agreement brakes and the different individuals make the decision to separate, then the community will end up breaking. When the government does not have its society, the government will as well dissolve. But in case a government dissolves and the society remains as one, the people shall still have the power to reform the government as they would like. On the other hand, Voltaire Candide uses wealth in explaining his points of view. Wealth leads to greed and causes war. The need to possess wealth enco uraged robbery and abuse of power. In his work, wealth is depicted as transient. Even though it may be beneficial, it is not ultimately fulfilling5. There are different practices of their time that these writers mock or criticize. Locke criticizes the act of slavery. He says that men has a natural liberty of being free and not have any power that is superior on earth. Man is not supposed to be under any legislative authority or will of man but is supposed to have the law of nature to rule him. He also says that no man should control the right to own property. This is because God gave life to all men in common and gave them reason to use it to their advantage and convenience. Every person has the right of owning property wherever they would like to. Just like Locke, Voltaire Candide criticizes slavery in a great way. The abuse of power leads to slavery since the leaders use their power