Which English philosopher wrote Two Treatises on Government and argued that people have natural rights such as life, liberty, and property?

• A. Hobbes
• B. Voltaire
• C. Locke
• D. Rousseau

Answer: (C)

Natural rights and the purpose of government are being tested here. John Locke, an English philosopher, wrote Two Treatises of Government and argued that people possess inherent rights—life, liberty, and property—that exist before any government and are not granted by rulers. Governments are formed through a social contract to protect these rights, with power resting on the consent of the governed; if a government fails to safeguard these rights or governs badly, people have the right to change or overthrow it. This idea of protecting natural rights and government legitimacy through consent helped shape later liberal political theory and influenced foundational documents in the United States. The other thinkers listed are not the author of these ideas in the same work: Hobbes promotes a strong sovereign to prevent chaos, while Voltaire and Rousseau contributed different Enlightenment ideas, not this specific treatise.