John Locke Warned Us Of The Corruption That Power Brings & Now We Are Seeing It

I recently finished reading the Two Treatises of Government by John Locke, in which he believed that government derives its “just powers from the consent of the governed.” His views on the corruption that power brings to our most cherished institution – our form of government – our Republic – follows.

Locke writes:

“The temptation is too great for those who seek power. For those who have the power of making laws, also have the power to execute them. In most cases these same individuals exempt themselves from obeying the very laws they make. In legislation passed by those in power also find ways to exempt their own property from the laws they are charged with enforcing on the rest of society.”

He further writes, “Despotic power is an absolute, arbitrary power one man has over another, to take away his life, whenever he pleases. Usurpation is the exercise of power; so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which nobody can have a right to. When the President or the legislature makes not the law, but their will, the rule; and their commands and actions are not directed to the preservation of the properties of the people or made use of; to impoverish, harass, or subdue them to the arbitrary and irregular commands of those that have it; it becomes tyranny.” 

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Reposted with permission