Freedom, Property Achievements

Freedom is the theme of Locke's thought. That how to achieve freedom is the core of Locke's thought. This paper argues that property is the guarantee of freedom, and only freedom is based on property can it be achieved. Therefore, this article starts from the Locke's property theory, and takes a careful discussion on the process of achieving freedom via property. During the discussion, the author attempts to clarify a long-standing misconceptions on Locke, that Locke's property theory was a justification of private property.In Locke, the question how to achieve freedom can be transferred to two questions, how to obtain property and how to protect it. This paper carefully discusses the contents of the property, the ways to acquire property, the methods to protect property and its drawbacks, respectively in the early era of the state of Nature, the later era of the state of Nature, and the Political Society. In the discussion, the author attempts to explain that:the state of Nature was a state of freedom and world in common; only world in common was transferred to individual property through labor can it contribute to the achievement of freedom; the appearance of currency led to the insufficiency of land, which was the main form of property, and promoted the transition from the early era of the state of Nature to the later era of the state of Nature; in the later era of the state of Nature, the shortage of land led to the failure of the methods to protect property and the inequality of the opportunities to obtain property, and ultimately accurated and completed the transition from the later era of the state of Nature to Commonwealth; legislative power is the supreme power of Commonwealth, and the establishment of Government must gain the consent of the majority and the support of the Reason; the end of Government is to provide public welfare, primarily through provide equal opportunities to obtain property and guarantee the security of individual property; the power of Government is definite and explicit, and the forms of Government can vary, but certainly exclude the absolute monarchy.This article also attempts to argue that:the best way to guarantee everyone's acquisition of property is to provide the equal opportunities; the best way to protect individual property is to provide the efficient and just judge on property disputes; the best way to obtain propety is to work hard, and the end of property is to use it in order to achieve freedom, the property is only a tool; the possession and utilization of property must be subordinate to the purpose of freedom, there is no property without social mandatory obligation.