The Concept of Equality and Nature as Expresses by the Colonial and Revolutionary Period

"The Concept of Equality and Nature as expresses by the colonial and revolutionary period"

The importance of equality comes from its existence of nature. Nature is an essential characteristic of all things, and there is an essential humanness to our characteristic, but man alone is not rational. This means that nature is the first of all things, and provides the ground to life and politics.

Before there is a government and a nation, man lived in a state of nature where he is guided by the laws of nature as God intended. The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, and obliges everyone. Reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind that being an equal and independent individual, no one has the natural right to harm another persons life, liberty and property. It is reason that sets mankind apart from all other species but makes all man equal.

In order to be fully human, man has to abide by reason, and not their passions, otherwise we will be unhappy and we will not be fully human. Our reason tells us what a human is, and tells us that no body is naturally insubordinate to another person. All men in the state of nature has executive power. This threatens man, because the state of nature has no government. It is a prove by the law of nature that a government is a necessary for mankind.

Everyone is born in a state of nature, thus the state of nature is a state of perfect freedom, and freedom should be a standard to all. Mankind knows we are equal through nature, and the equality of man is a self-evident truth. Locke establishes the truths of nature through the all mighty creator God, and that God did not grant superiority to any individuals in society, but granted a private dominion over the inferior and a common right with all mankind. Locke describes the state of nature as, "A state of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more evident than that creatures of the same species, promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature and the use of the same faculties, should also be equal one amongst another, 1." Because man is born free and equal as he enters the state of nature, he must be assured that he will still be free and equal as he enters society. Locke says that all men are naturally in the state of nature, and remain so, till by their own consents they make themselves members of some Politick society, 2. Man can not have power over another man, this would be an unjust matter. If a government is set up on the theory of a divine authority, like Sir Robert Filmer, it is unjust and subjugates mankind to slavery, and by nature there is no naturally born slave. Equality is a core concern that must be considered in the design of a nation.

The first equal society was between "man and women" when God said that it is not good for man to be alone. Men rule, but there is a private hierarchy that exist in a private relationship that does not exist in the public. Women have the equal opportunity to run and rule a relationship or a government. Women are placed into a political subjection to man or that man should have Monarchical Power over wives. Locke says that God does not give any authority to man over wive, but tells us what should be the woman's job in the family. Man and wife are equal in public, but privately man has a conjugal power over woman, not political, but the power that every husband has to keep order among private concern. The equality of mankind does not mean that men subject women to a divine authority. God created Adam as the first ruler of man, but not the first monarch. God granted Adam authority over the land, but not mankind. This means that all human beings have an equal opportunity to become rulers of their land and property, with consent, become part of a community.

Mankind is better off in a society, because man alone is not rational and pursues their passions. This is bad because there is something about mans passions that makes us equal to the beast, or a species that does not have the ability to reason. It is our Reason, which is our only star and compass, 3. Without our reason we become corrupt. Plato said that mankind has three parts that make up their sole; our reason, our will, and our passions. Mans reasons and passions are at war with each other,