Final answer:
John Locke identified fundamental natural rights as life, liberty, and property, not the pursuit of happiness, which was a concept included in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. Locke's theories emphasized that government is tasked with protecting these unalienable rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that John Locke argued we have basic natural rights to life, health, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is false. While John Locke did theorize about natural rights in his Second Treatise of Government, he specifically identified life, liberty, and property as fundamental rights. The idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are reflective of Thomas Jefferson's words in the Declaration of Independence, which were indeed influenced by Locke's philosophy.
Locke's concept of natural rights is centered on the idea that these rights are inherent and unalienable. He believed that the primary role of government is to secure these rights and that it should only exist with the consent of the governed. Thus, governments are established to protect the natural rights of individuals and prevent conflicts over life, health, liberty, and possessions by enforcing a social contract.