How Locke Would React to the Storming of the US Capitol

The recent storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, represents a component of classical liberalism as the philosopher John Locke indirectly defined it in his Second Treatise of Government.

For Locke, if personal liberty is not upheld in a polity by the ruling class, then it is the right of citizens to protest in the form of revolution.

So … in what way would Locke condone the storming of the Capitol?

Photo by Caleb Perez on Unsplash

In the storming of the Capitol, a large group of seemingly Republican supporters broke into the Congress and Capitol and violently damaged U.S. property, threatening lives.

Of course, there can be a discussion over whether Locke would have found the storming of the Capitol lawful. By all accounts, this was an act of terrorism rather than civil revolt. Nonetheless, according to Locke’s reasoning, “man’s freedom,” which he defines as “his liberty of acting according to his own will,” guarantees the possibility to revolt against any in a position of power if they do not see the rulers governing in a way that ensures their liberty.

For Locke and other classical liberals, the primary purpose of the social contract between the government and the people is to guarantee life, liberty, and property.