Which idea did John Locke advocate that influenced liberal political theory?

• A. Divine Right
• B. Absolutism
• C. Natural Rights
• D. Social Contract

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is the belief that certain rights belong to people simply because they are human, and that government exists to protect those rights. John Locke argued that every person has natural rights—life, liberty, and property—that precede and limit political authority. This means governments are legitimate only as long as they secure those rights, and the people have the right to change or replace rulers who fail to do so. This view is foundational to liberal political theory because it links freedom and limited government to the protection of individual rights, rather than to divine sanction or unchecked royal power.

Divine Right and Absolutism picture authority as derived from God or as an all-powerful ruler, which contradicts liberal emphasis on individual rights and the accountability of government. The idea of the social contract is intimately tied to liberal thought as the mechanism by which legitimate government arises from the consent of the governed, but the specific cornerstone Locke champions that shaped liberal theory is the notion of natural rights themselves—the idea that rights exist independently of government and must be safeguarded. This is why natural rights is the best answer.