Life, Liberty, and Property are the core principles that the United States Constitution protects. These principles were taken from the philosophy of natural law. Natural law prescribes that basic elements of human existence (Life, Liberty, and Property) were provided to every individual in nature and that each human has the right to these basic elements. The American understanding of natural law and its incorporation into the U.S. Constitution is mainly derived from John Locke. These principles are the overall focus of Basic U.S. Government: A Modern Perspective.

Life

When the principle of life is mentioned in Basic U.S. Government; it pertains to the understanding of both natural life and livelihood. Life meaning in the corporal is the responsibility of any poli to provide security for its citizens, non-citizens, and the state. The U.S. Constitution directly requires the federal government and indirectly requires state governments to fulfill this function. The definition of what life is, when it begins, and when it should be protected is always up for debate. Basic U.S. Government does not lean either way in that debate. This book points to where the constitution and government are to provide protection for life in general. The discussion in the classroom will provide the salon for ideological debate of the final definition of life, when life begins, and how it should be protected under law.

Livelihood is defined in Basic U.S. Government as a person to maintain economic integrity. This understanding of life allows the reader to understand how the constitution protects the ability of its citizens to make a living. The constitution does not expressly state or imply that the federal or state governments should provide a livelihood for its citizens. That is determined by the interpretation of those debating such issues. The book simply provides the examination of how the constitution can be seen to protect natural life or the ability of an individual’s economic existence.

Liberty

Liberty is a subject that is misunderstood when used in the context of U.S. Government. Many Americans use the term liberty and freedom synonymously. This is an error based upon a traditional misunderstanding of American society. The understanding we live in a free country, and we have freedom to do whatever we want. If that is true, why are there laws? Laws are a direct violation of freedom. Freedom, as described in the Second Treatise of Government, is the ability for any person to do whatever they want within a state of nature. When a person is in a state of nature, there is no society, the only protection of life you have is what you can provide mentally and physically, and a person is truly on their own against the environment and creatures living in it. Liberty is defined in Basic U.S. Government, as the ability of a person to do whatever they want within the limits of a society. In the U.S., a person can do whatever they want for as long as they do not violate the law and the Life, Liberty, and Property of others. No society has true freedom. Freedom only exists when discussing nations or multi-nation states. Many would counter that these states are regulated under international law. Contemporary history would provide that international law is only observed when it is in the best interests of states. Liberty is what the average citizen in a poli has. The amount of liberty depends on the society that the citizen resides in. In the U.S. today, full de facto liberty is more widespread compared to most of the world. When the constitution was written, full de facto liberty existed for only a selected few. Today, the discussion of the expansion of full liberty has move from skin color, ethnicity, and sex to orientation. Even though the former still fight to maintain their full liberty, liberty based upon orientation is a debate that is expanding the divide among ideologies in the U.S. The book provides the constitutional understanding of liberty. It does not get into the ideological debate of when de facto liberty was granted and to whom, and who should have it today. Basic U.S. Government provides room for the reader to debate those issues on their own.

Property

Property can be defined as a tangible or non-tangible item(s) that can be bought, sold or traded. This definition allows for a broad interpretation of what can be bought and sold. In Basic U.S. Government, property is defined as anything that is tangible or non-tangible that a person owns. Ownership is also seen as anything a person creates with their hands, with their mind, within their body, and their body itself. This expanded view of property creates a better understanding of how the constitution can be interpreted. No longer the discussion of property is seen from the point of view of an inanimate material. It allows you to see that the 13th Amendment not only free’s the U.S. from practice of slavery but expanded the right for people to have total ownership of themselves. It also highlights the importance of the 14th Amendment and the Bill of Rights preserving the prohibition of the federal and state governments interfering with the personal property of its citizens.

Conclusion

 Life, liberty, and property are principles from natural law philosophy that the constitution was written to protect. Even though the understanding of these principles may have changed over the centuries, the zest to maintain these principles has gotten stronger among the American public. The principle of Life meaning mortal life and livelihood meaning making an economic living is clearly accepted as a constitutional protection. The debate about when that protection should begin rages on. The principle of liberty means being able to do anything within the law without violating the life, liberty, and property of others. The debate of this principle continues to be who deserves liberty and how much. The principle of property means the ownership of tangible and non-tangible items. Ownership under this principle includes but is not limited to what a person creates with their hands, mind, within their body, and their body itself. The debate of property intermingles with the debate of life and liberty. The conflict of abortion and what a woman can do with her body and anything within it will continue into the foreseeable future. Protecting these principles are seen as the rights of all U.S. citizens. The discussing of these principles generated by Basic U.S. Government makes it a great read.