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Which natural rights did John Locke believe governments should protect?

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A vintage encyclopedia page shows small type and scientific illustrations. The question What was Enlightenment? is written in old-fashioned blue lettering. — Enlightenment The search for knowledge never ends—but it started somewhere.

In the context of the Enlightenment, the English philosopher John Locke argued that individuals possess certain natural rights that are inherent to them as human beings, existing even before the formation of civil society.1

Locke maintained that the primary purpose of government is to protect these fundamental rights. He identified three core natural rights that governments are obligated to secure for their citizens:2

Life: The right to exist and be free from harm.213
Liberty: The right to freedom from arbitrary rule and the ability to act according to one's own will within the bounds of the law of nature.13
Property: The right to own and control the fruits of one's labor.13

Locke believed that when individuals enter into a social contract to form a government, they do not surrender these rights; rather, they delegate to the state the authority to enforce them. If a government fails to protect these rights, it loses its legitimacy, and the people have a moral right to replace it, even through revolution if necessary.12