John Locke and the Unequal Distribution of Wealth Essay

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is stated by John Locke that in the state of nature no man may take more then he can consume. â€Å"†¦make use of any advantage of life before it spoils†¦whatever is beyond this is more than his share and belongs to others. Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy. (Locke 14)† Locke then goes on to say, â€Å"God gave the world to man †¦ for their benefit and the greatest conveniences of life they were capable to draw from it, it cannot be supposed he meant it should always remain common and uncultivated. He gave it to the use of the industrious and rational- and labor was to be his title†¦ (Lock 15)† Both of statements can stand alone, each could be argued. For starters, it is not only selfish to take more†¦show more content†¦Which brings us to the head of the serpent. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In Locke’s opinion the idea of fair unequal distribution of wealth came about with the creation of money. Before money, things could not be saved fairly. Over stocking by some would lead to spoilage, and leave others with nothing. Once money was introduced though, this allowed the accumulation of wealth, without waste, so Locke says â€Å"†¦thus came in the use of money- some lasting thing that men might keep without spoiling, and that by mutual consent men would take in exchange for the truly useful but perishable supports of life. (Locke 20).† Now one man could have, â€Å" †¦ a disproportionate and unequal possession of the earth†¦ (And) †¦fairly possess more land than he himself can use the product of†¦(Locke 22)†. The word â€Å"fairly† in that last statement should jump off the page. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;When speaking on the state of nature Locke’s main concern is spoilage or waste of commodities, but with the introduction of money he sees this problem solved. When in fact a floodgate for spoilage and waste is opened. Today the market is flooded with products, and products supposed to be better then the other product, the leading brand, and the other leading brand. Combine this with the introduction of digital property such as television and the Internet, all other forms of mass media marketing, and we have a whole new concept of hoarding and spoilage.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Locke s The Great Gatsby 1326 Words   |  6 PagesLocke makes it clear that one individual does not own or have the right over another individual’s life, due to the equal creation of all individuals under one God (Locke 8). An individual has the right over their own body and laws that encourage one individual’s ownership over another is unjust and not natu ral to humanity (17). Property also plays an important role in Locke’s philosophy because it seems to be an extension of an individual’s right over one’s self. 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