John Locke's Ideals And Theories

John Locke’s ideals and theories were essential to the creation of equal rights and the morals of our country. His theories sparked great debate about what rights are humanly inherited. Locke believed that human beings, in their natural state, were equal and free to pursue life, health, liberty, and possessions; and that these were inalienable rights. However, his wording is very important. He expressed that only human beings in their natural state deserve these rights, not just any human. This idea can be seen in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Although The Creature was a human being, he was not in his natural state because he was made artificially as an experiment. Hence, The Creature should’ve been “on a leash” by Frankenstein because he was
his creation. Locke also expressed that rewards and punishment are the only motive for a rational creature. This is expressed in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Through Macbeth’s indecisiveness to kill the king, we see how he ponders between the rewards of being the king, and the punishment of getting caught killing him. Although Macbeth begins as a hero, he ends the play as a villain. It is apparent that John Locke’s concepts on human behavior and rights exist in the two stories.