mmunity, they have thereby made that community one body, with a power to act as one body, which is only by the will and determination of the majority.(353) Meaning that each man gives up his own private judgments in favor of those of the majority. There are two forms of consent according to Locke, express and tacit consent. Express consent is that which man enters into a society to become a subject of that government. Tacit consent is referring to what should be considered consent where the individual hasnt made any indications of it at all. Locke explains that tacit consent to the community is given when a man possesses or enjoys anything from the jurisdiction of that government. Since the government has a direct jurisdiction only over the landonly as he dwells upon, and enjoys that: the obligation any one is under, by virtue of such enjoyment, to submit to the government, begins and ends with enjoyment.(355) Once man gives his consent to be a part of the commonwealth he is bound to remain permanently a subject to it, unless it becomes dissolved. If men in the state of Nature have the right to property and freedom, then why would they concede everything to be under the control of a greater power? Locke answers this as man being fearful of the dangers others may impose upon their property. This makes him willing to quit a condition, which however free, is full of fears and continual dangers(356). Man joins into this civil society because the goal of the body is that of mutual preservation of the life, liberties and estates of its people. The great and chief end therefore, of mens uniting into commonwealthsis the preservation of their property(357). The preservation of property is the intention of the community to preserve mans property and liberty for only the common good, which in the state of Nature could never exist. Locke states that by a commonwealth he does not particularly mean democracy; rather he uses the term to un...
