Locke's theory posits that individuals form a political society through mutual consent to protect their natural rights. Once the civil society is established, the authority of the government is derived from the people. While the government can be dissolved if it breaches the trust of the people, the social contract itself is not a simple, revocable agreement by individual whim, but a foundational shift in political status.

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John Locke posited that the social contract is a voluntary agreement made by all members of the community to transition from a state of nature to a civil society. By consenting to this contract, individuals agree to relinquish some natural freedoms in exchange for the protection of their natural rights—life, liberty, and property—by a government established through common consent.

John Locke argued that all human beings possess inherent, inalienable rights in the state of nature. These rights—life, liberty, and property—are the basis for his social contract theory, where the primary purpose of government is to protect these specific interests of the citizens.

John Locke is widely regarded as the father of modern liberalism and the primary proponent of the Theory of Natural Rights. In his 'Two Treatises of Government', he argued that all individuals possess inherent, inalienable rights to life, liberty, and property, which exist prior to the formation of any government. He posited that the primary purpose of the state is to protect these natural rights, and if it fails to do so, citizens have the right to revolt.

C. B. Macpherson, in his influential work 'The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism', argued that early liberal thinkers like Hobbes and Locke viewed the individual as essentially the proprietor of their own person and capacities, owing nothing to society. This concept highlights the atomistic and market-oriented nature of early liberal political theory.

John Locke is a foundational figure in liberal political thought. His theory of consent posits that political authority is only legitimate when derived from the agreement of the governed. Furthermore, his advocacy for limited government—where the state's power is restricted by law to protect natural rights like life, liberty, and property—remains a cornerstone of modern constitutional democracy.

C. B. Macpherson coined 'possessive individualism' in his work 'The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism'. He argued that 17th-century liberal thinkers, such as Hobbes and Locke, viewed the individual as essentially the proprietor of their own person and capacities, owing nothing to society, which laid the foundation for capitalist political thought.

John Locke argued that property rights are natural rights that exist independently of the state. In his Second Treatise of Government, he maintained that the primary purpose of government is the protection of life, liberty, and estate. Consequently, the state lacks the authority to expropriate private property without the owner's consent, as such an act would violate the fundamental social contract and the individual's natural right to their labor's fruits.

Locke argues that the sovereign is not absolute but is subject to the rule of law. The government acts as a trustee for the people, and its authority is limited by the laws it enacts to protect natural rights. If the sovereign violates these laws or the trust of the people, the government loses its legitimacy, reinforcing the concept of limited government and constitutionalism.