Natural+Law

__Natural Law__

"The state of Nature has a law of Nature to govern it, which obliges every one, and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions; for men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker; all the servants of one sovereign Master, sent into the world by His order and about His business; they are His property, whose workmanship they are made to last during His, not one another's pleasure."- from Locke's Second Treatise. For Locke, the state of nature is not governed by chaos, but rather by an inherent natural law known to all humans. While he never specifies exactly what this law entails, he does believe every man has a natural sense of justice endowed by the Creator himself. Thus, in a Lockean state of nature, man can live and judge what is right and wrong for himself. However, when a dispute arises between two men in the state of nature, a neutral, outside mediator is needed in order to judge the extent of retribution that is fitting. This is where a government comes into play. When thinking about natural law, it is important to keep in mind that natural law does not in fact always govern the way humans //do// act, but rather the way they //should// act. **(Can we compare Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau on natural law? 1158715336)**