John Locke And Modern Capitalism - 1204 Words

John Locke was a philosopher that didn’t think human thought was based on pure egoistic behavior. Locke believed people were partially altruistic, believing that people respected the rights of others by rational thought capabilities. There is speculation about how John Locke would view the modern idea of American Capitalism and how it would complement or conflict his idea of the social contract. I will argue that John Locke would be against this interpretation of modern capitalism. There are different views of capitalism, and these interpretations can change possible outcomes of how John Locke could view them. Instead of trying to argue why modern capitalism is this interpretation, I’m going to only make the argument that he would be against the interpretation of modern capitalism provided, whether this interpretation is sound or not, for the argument is about John Locke disagreeing with this interpretation due to his idea of the social contract. Modern capitalism can be viewed as everyone gets a fair chance at being the best. While some start off ahead of others in terms of financial resources, anyone has a chance to own businesses, and make a profit for themselves. The problem however is common business techniques are deception to gain more power and wealth, even if it violates common ethic rules like truth and trust. While this is never openly discussed, stories occasionally come up about these practices, but most remain unknown, settled in court. The Social ContractShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Liberalism And Marxism Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesThe Philosophy of Liberalism and Marxism John Locke and Karl Marx are two of the most influential philosophers when it comes to politics and how we should govern. 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