John Locke’s ideas about natural rights and the social contract influenced the French Revolution. His ideas about the government’s role in protecting these rights were adopted by the revolutionaries.
Thinker believed that man possessed certain rights by nature. These are known as natural rights and include life, liberty and property. The government’s role was to protect these rights for all citizens. In order to protect these rights, Locke believed that people should create a social contract with their rulers whereby they give up some of their freedom in exchange for protection from harm and tyranny.
Locke also believed that governments should be set up so they could be changed peacefully if they failed to protect these basic human rights. He said that if a government failed at its job it should be overthrown through revolution or replaced through elections (although he did not believe that elections were a necessary part of government).
In his Second Treatise on Government, Locke wrote that those who govern must be chosen by the people and must be subject to laws passed by them. He also argued that since power comes from the people, they have a right to rebel against an unjust government.
The French Revolution was a time of great turmoil in France that resulted in many changes to its government system, including the abolition of feudalism and establishment of a constitutional monarchy with a legislature elected by its citizens rather than appointed by royalty or nobility.
