"Nor was this appropriation of any parcel of land, by improving it, any prejudice to any other man, since there was still enough, and as good left; and more than the yet unprovided could use. So that, in effect, there was never the less left for others because of his enclosure for himself: for he that leaves as much as another can make use of, does as good as take nothing at all. No body could think himself injured by the drinking of another man, though he took a great draught, who had a whole river of the same water left him to quench his thirst: and the case of land and water, where there is enough of both, is perfectly the same."
John Locke, Second Treatise on Government, Sec. 33.
Locke believes that God gave the Earth to man for his own use and pleasure, which may at first seem in line with Bacon's view. However, Locke later states that no man should take more than is his share; he should only take what he needs to survive, lest he spoil the resources of the Earth by altering them through labor. Not only does Locke maintain that man should be prudent with his handling of Earth's resources, he also asserts that there is no way that anyone could overuse these resources and thereby cause suffering to his neighbors and the Earth itself. In Locke's time, perhaps this was true; the smaller population of Earth coupled with many vast unexplored territories made resources seem endless, impossible to exhaust. Today is a different story, as many animal species face extinction, most of the forested areas have been cut down to make way for housing, and much of the freshwater in our aquifers has been used up to enable our unsustainable farming practices. The human population, too, has grown in size so much that it is difficult to provide for everyone on the planet. In fact, there is hardly a square inch of space on the Earth left unexplored. So what would Locke have to say about all of this?
In light of these modern problems, it may be impossible to bring our planet back to the resource-rich paradise that Locke and his contemporaries lived in. However, we can take Locke's advise by only taking what we need to survive, although the new technology we have developed does make it possible for man to take more than his fair share and make a profit on it. We need to fight this human greed, conserving our resources especially because we have explored and exhausted much of the Earth.
Do you think it is possible to go back to such a way of living? Or does the human desire to be master of the Earth and to make a profit on it make this impossible?
It is indeed in human nature to be greedy, and this applies to human interaction with nature as well. People do wish to profit from the land, and have done so since the beginning of time. Humankind's goal is progression, whether it be in technology, political structures, industrialization, etc. Therefore it is impossible to go back to a basic way of survival, especially in a time when surplus is considered to barely be enough. It would be nice to live in such a basic society that Locke encourages, and we would all be better off, but there is no chance of people actually reverting back to such habits.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very unlikely to get humans to take only what they need to survive. Humans are always looking for something more, and in our society we are trained to think that the something more is consumption. Consumerism is a huge part of Western society, humans try to fulfill emptiness with gaining more material goods because we are told through media and advertisements that this is what will make us happy. Trying to get people to take only what they need to survive would involve a massive overhaul politically and socially that I just do not see happening considering the magnitude of the problem. I admire this idea of locke's but the scope of the problem he is addressing has grown immensely since his time. I do believe we can all learn something from him though. I think we must realize that we will deplete our resources if we continue to consume as much as we are, and if we do maybe there is a chance of us saving our resources. I believe it is more likely for us to use technology to figure out new resources.
ReplyDeleteThe perceived understanding of Locke and his contemporaries was that nature contained an abounding plethora of natural wealth and bounty. Since his time, developments in mechanized technology and industrialization have altered these perceived realities. However, Locke’s arguments concerning the limitations of self-indulgent and moderation contain stronger truths today than ever. Yet, Locke’s reasons for encouraging moderation were different than what they would be perceived as through a modern understanding. Locke was more concerned with the effect that the accumulation of wealth would have on the dominion of one man over another. Since humans have had the ability to amass wealth that society has never been able to before following the creation of a monetary system, the result has also brought problems. Locke is concerned that heightening inequalities will also bring disparities in civil liberties and personal freedoms, creating a world that can more powerful exploit one man above another.
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