How Man Negotiates Away His Natural Freedom

Submitted by: Ed Cannaday, Oklahoma
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Grade Level/Subject: 11-12 / U.S. History

Overview: Students are assigned readings on John Locke's views on the political nature of man. This is followed by class discussions on ways in which his views were incorporated into the early U.S. political framework and philosophy. Specifically, we analyze the concepts of Life, Property, and Liberty. An emphasis is placed on Locke's view that man, in a purely natural political state, is a totally free being. However, he quickly recognizes the necessity of negotiating away a portion of freedom in an attempt to protect his other natural interests of life and property.

Purpose: The relevance of this lesson is that students are asked to recognize that our legal-political system has developed through a process of moving from philosophical ideals to compromised working models.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. identify John Locke's views of the nature of man.

2. describe the application of these views to the development of U.S. political theory and systems.

3. evaluate the differences between the importance of Life, Property, and Liberty, and conclude which of these aspects of the nature of political man is most highly negotiable.

4. develop a political philosophy by working with their assigned cooperative group.

Resources/Materials:

• U.S. History text
• U.S. Government text
• Readings on Western Political Thought

Activities and Procedures:

1. Reading resource material
2. Entire class discussion
3. Work on group political philosophy in their cooperative groups.
4. These groups are joined with others (2 groups) to form their political philosophy into specific governing
5. Discussion with the entire class based on the groups presentation of their laws (acceptance, modification, or rejection).

Tying It All Together

In practice Activity 5 usually fulfills this criteria. (a note of caution: It is often at this point that animosities which have developed between group members during the course of the study may reach a flash point and the teacher would be prepared to deal with this issue.)

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