All in the Interest of Self-Preservation..

Locke held the empiricist attitude that all knowledge comes through experience, and so he also stood by the belief that we, as humans, were born without moral precepts and innate ideas. Locke believed that God has given each of us the ability to reason and “to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience” (14). In describing the distinction of property and labor’s part in its establishment, Locke wrote under the assumption and belief that human nature is good. In order for mankind to fully live and prosper off the common that belongs to all, each must function “keeping within the bounds set by reason” (16). Locke saw the nature of humanity as inherently good because of the reason it posses, as it was the foundation on which he structured his thoughts on the attainment and right of property. In furthering that thought, Locke saw the natural resources of our world as existing in abundance; and consequently believed that when man made a portion of that abundance his property through labor he did not cause injury to his neighbor, “for he that leaves as much as another can make use of does as good take nothing at all” (16). However, Locke considered it a waste and injury to ones neighbor when the abundance one labored for was left to rot or spoil. So it was important to understand the value of the resources that surrounded us, though they exist in abundance, because their value is found in the interest of self preservation. The environment has inherent value as it is the foundation on which mankind both toils and thrives and Locke acknowledges that value is founded in the preservation of humanity.