Welcome to the Essential Ideas of John Locke. Locke's groundbreaking writing and thinking about equality of rights and the equal dignity of all people led him to consider the role of the monarchy, and in a broader sense, the role of the state. As a thought experiment, Locke asked us to imagine what it would be like if there were no kings or governments of any kind.
Locke understood that it would be difficult and... to use his words, inconvenient to enforce our rights, or to protect ourselves, or to resolve disputes. Locke explained that people would realize that it's more convenient, effective, and fair to establish third-party, independent mechanisms to resolve conflicts. Let's suppose that Bob decides to trade his beer for a box of Adam's apples. However, after the exchange, Bob discovers almost all of the apples are rotten.
Adam denies any wrongdoing and refuses to give Bob his beer back. A heated conflict like this could lead to violence, and sure enough, Adam assaults Bob and threatens further violence if he presses the issue further. These were Locke's inconveniences.
But what if a neutral arbiter existed to help resolve the dispute? Bob decides to sue Adam and the two go to court. Bob and Adam tell their versions of events to a judge, who listens carefully and, after weighing the facts and the existing law, passes judgment on who has been wronged and what compensation they are owed.
The conflict is resolved without physical violence based on a set of rules or laws. Locke argued the state emerged from this realization that creating a third-party neutral arbiter could manage these inconveniences better than individuals on their own. Critically though, Locke also explained that the justification for what he called just government was that it protected people's rights and ameliorated these inconveniences.
In essence, the reasons for the existence of the state are the same reasons for limiting its size and power. According to Locke, a just government is one that seeks to protect people's rights. For more information on John Locke, visit EssentialJohnLocke.org. And to learn about more essential scholars, visit EssentialScholars.org.