Locke, Consent, and Property: Rethinking Political Obligation

This episode aims to introduce Locke’s key ideas on government, consent, and property as presented in the text extracts.• Explain how Locke links political authority to the consent of the governed rather than to divine right or mere force.• Explore Locke’s argument that individual rights to life, liberty, and especially property set limits on governmental power.• Show how Locke’s theory of consent and revolution emerges against the background of the 1688 English Revolution.• Critically reflect on tensions in Locke’s account, including inequality, passive subjects, and the protection of propertied interests.