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Space: John Locke’s Ultimate Triumph

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Part of the book series: Space and Society ((SPSO))

Abstract

This chapter is a projection of mankind’s future in space based upon the “natural state” hypothesis of John Locke , as presented in his Second Treatise on Government, published in 1690. This idea has been taken seriously at some times since its publication, and less seriously at others. (I see it as being taken less seriously in our present time, at least inside academia.) I will first be presenting some facts to support my opinion that Locke’s formulation was substantially correct, and then I will apply the “Lockean” hypothesis to mankind’s future in space, especially as it regards liberty and governance.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    US Census Bureau, Historical Estimates of World Population.

  2. 2.

    See Michael Balter, The Goddess and The Bull, and Ian Hodder, The Leopard’s Tale.

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Correspondence to Paul Rosenberg .

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Rosenberg, P. (2015). Space: John Locke’s Ultimate Triumph. In: Cockell, C. (eds) The Meaning of Liberty Beyond Earth. Space and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09567-7_6

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