Everyone is responsible for justice in the state of nature. John Locke explains his state of nature as a state of equality, where no person has power over another. Due to this, all men are free to do as they please. The one exception to this rule is that this liberty does not equal the license to abuse others, or oneself. Each individual in this state of nature has the power to execute natural laws, …
showed first 75 words of 405 total

showed last 75 words of 405 total
…are in opposition to common equity and reason. Since he is breaking the rule of having mutual security in the state of nature, he becomes highly dangerous to mankind. Given that now every man is vulnerable to this one offender; even man has the right to punish this delinquent. Locke simply wants the punishment to fit the crime, this is the only way to discourage the offender from repeating the crime he has already committed.