Consent of the govern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Consent of the govern - Essay Example However, consent should be adequate in order that individuals will honor their obligations. What then is an adequate form of consent? An adequate form of consent should be one that was given voluntarily by a person. It must not be given out of coercion. It should be stated explicitly and expressly. In order for consent to be adequate, the person giving it should have complete knowledge of the consequences of his decision. The state of mind and the maturity of the person must be considered (Mclean, 112). As an example, contracts entered into under duress do not constitute an adequate form of consent simply because it was not given freely and would not have been given had there been no pressure applied on the person. In fact, the contract could be considered voidable in those cases. Further the practice of giving consent should be legitimate in itself, that is, it should be acceptable to the existing political authority (Mclean, 112). Work Cited Dunn, John. â€Å"Consent in the Politi cal Theory of John Locke†. The Historical Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, 153-182. 1967. Web. 22 March 2011.