Labor and Self

Reading Response: Second Treatise on Civil Government, Chapter 5: Of Property, by John Locke (1690)

John Locke's philosophy on property can be summed up in a simple phrase: that which you work for is rightfully yours, provided you don't acquire more than you need. In this phrase, he puts out many of the common concerns regarding ownership of things and labor. For example, for those that worry about the rich amassing too much, Locke advises only taking as much as you need and not being wasteful. For those worried about the poor not being able to own property, he advises working hard and whatever one can care for, one can own. He felt that money was perhaps a hindrance to the "natural common law" which basically means that the earth and everything in it belongs to all men, and is enough for all men, provided they tend it responsibly. However, with the introduction of money, people were able to buy land and buy goods rather than really having to work for them. I think that Locke's views are refreshing and plain, but I doubt they could actually work in today's society with so many people striving for MORE.

Reading Response: The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith (1776)

Where Locke encouraged individuals to care for themselves by working hard, Adam Smith advises people to care for themselves by catering to their neighbor's self-interest. For example, rather than one person trying to do everything for themselves, they should instead become highly skilled at a particular job and then "sell" their services or products to others who don't have the same skill. In return, one could by the things he or she needed from others. This is capitalism in a nutshell - the American Way. While this may seem practical on the surface, there is always the concern of what would happen to a person whose services were all of a sudden not needed. For example, if there is a cell phone repairman working in a store today, but if in the near future a new invention came out and people no longer used cell phones, the repairman would be out of a job. If he had no other skills, he would be out of luck. However, if he kept up his skills in other areas, then he would be able to move into another job with little headache. So while Smith's idea works for the most part, society still needs some of Locke's philosophy as well - work hard, work hard, work hard. Succeed.