The downfall of Trump: Ruling arbitrarily by executive order
Locke: When to revolt/rebel
I answer that self-defence is a part of the law of nature,
and it can’t be denied to the community, even against the
king himself; but that law doesn’t allow them to revenge
themselves upon him. So if the king in hatred sets himself
not merely against this or that person but against the body
of the commonwealth of which he is the head, and with
intolerable ill usage cruelly tyrannizes over all or many of the people, then the people have a right to resist and
defend themselves from injury. But in doing this they must
be careful only to •defend themselves, and not to •attack
their king. They may make good the damages they have
received, but must not under any provocation cross the
line of appropriate reverence and respect. They may push
back the present attempt but must not take revenge for past
violences; for it is natural for us to •defend life and limb, but
it is against nature for •an inferior to punish a superior. . . .
So this is the privilege of the people in general, as compared
with any private person: particular men. . . .have no other
remedy but patience, whereas the body of the people may
respectfully resist intolerable tyranny. ·I stress intolerable;
for when the tyranny is only moderate they ought to endure
it·.
Locke: When to revolt/rebel
I answer that self-defence is a part of the law of nature,
and it can’t be denied to the community, even against the
king himself; but that law doesn’t allow them to revenge
themselves upon him. So if the king in hatred sets himself
not merely against this or that person but against the body
of the commonwealth of which he is the head, and with
intolerable ill usage cruelly tyrannizes over all or many of the people, then the people have a right to resist and
defend themselves from injury. But in doing this they must
be careful only to •defend themselves, and not to •attack
their king. They may make good the damages they have
received, but must not under any provocation cross the
line of appropriate reverence and respect. They may push
back the present attempt but must not take revenge for past
violences; for it is natural for us to •defend life and limb, but
it is against nature for •an inferior to punish a superior. . . .
So this is the privilege of the people in general, as compared
with any private person: particular men. . . .have no other
remedy but patience, whereas the body of the people may
respectfully resist intolerable tyranny. ·I stress intolerable;
for when the tyranny is only moderate they ought to endure
it·.
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