John Locke and the right to bear arms

• Autores: M. Tunick
• Localización: History of political thought, ISSN 0143-781X, Vol. 35, Nº 1, 2014, págs. 50-69
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • John Locke is often said to hold that individuals have a natural right to bear arms for self-defence. I argue that this view ignores an essential feature of Locke's political theory: once we join political society, the preservation of society takes precedence over the preservation of individuals. In political society, on Locke's view, regulations of the means of self-defence may be enacted by a duly constituted legislative power if thought to be for the public good, even though this may limit the arms available to individuals when confronted with aggressors or tyrants.