💠 Individual Rights Day 💠 (29/08/21)
John Locke, (August 29, 1632-October 28, 1704) popularly known as the “Father of Liberalism”, was an English philosopher, among the most influential thinkers of his time, and strongly advocated individual liberty and constitutional rights.
While the topic is subjective and, has, now, been discussed for centuries, Locke was the first to firmly argue that all human beings have sovereign identities and that it is the government’s responsibility to recognize - and safeguard - these rights. Even though humans live in a system where some of their natural rights are surrendered in return for the collectivity of society and protection, Locke still listed complete liberty on how to live one’s life, freedom of speech, and freedom to stand against the government, as individual rights.
The founder of the Objectivist Party, Dr. Tom Stevens, is a staunch supporter of John Locke’s philosophies, especially those regarding the very foundation of society — the individual. The exact date of the inception of the holiday is unknown, but Dr. Stevens is credited for creating the annual celebration.
Here are some of the most famous quotes attributed to Locke:
The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.
Anything that a man has, as a matter of human rights or civil rights, is to remain inviolably his.
All mankind... Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.
Government has no other end, but the preservation of property.
Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.
The reason why men enter into society is the preservation of their property.
The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom.
To love our neighbor as ourselves is such a truth for regulating human society, that by that alone one might determine all the cases in social morality.
Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip.
Where there is no property there is no injustice.
New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.