ENGL 298 B: Intermediate Writing Social Sciences   Autumn 2011, University of Washington

In chapter 4 (pg17-18), Locke lays out his brief explanation on how his new ideas relate to slavery. Initially, Locke appears staunchly against slavery. He begins by asserting that slavery is, before anything else, unnatural. His first sentences reiterate that authority does not exist in the state of nature, and it is against every man’s natural liberty to be under another man’s authority. Locke, being a consent theorist, leaves the exception that an authority established by a commonwealth is legitimate.
Even with the authorized establishment of a government, Locke never believes that individuals give up the right to self-preservation. In the next paragraph, he begins by clarifying that that freedom from being under absolute rule is a facet of the right to self-preservation. If this is the case, then even a legitimate, established authority cannot violate man’s right against absolute rule. Locke envisions how other consent theorists may argue against this view, by saying that somebody can perhaps consent to becoming a slave, for whatever reason. Locke argues against this by explaining that slavery involves absolute authority over another man’s life. Locke’s religion slips into view here, because Locke repeats a view he expressed earlier in the book – man does not own the rights to his life and cannot really consider himself to be his own property. Man does not own himself, therefore he cannot consent. Locke goes on to say that furthermore, even if one could consent, the act of consenting would no longer qualify the relationship as slavery. Once a covenant is entered into and consent it given, it becomes more like an employee/employer relationship.
Locke finds one area where slavery is an appropriate institution when it is being used as punishment for a crime. He thinks of exact situations where this might be appropriate, and lays out an analogy. If a man breaks a law horrid enough where his life is forfeit to the state, the state can put the man to work rather than end his life. A modern day analogy would be court-ordered community service. Locke ends by calling slavery a “state of war continued” before summarizing his arguments. The section ends with a few historical clarifications between actual slavery and what Locke feels has been misinterpreted as slavery.