This is the most basic of Locke's philosophy. To really understand Locke's State of Nature, you'll have to understand Hobbe's State of Nature as well (which is the opposite).
Hobbes pretty much defines that without law and government, when we revert back to our original State of Nature, everything is chaotic and anarchy reigns. There is no morality, because what you do you do for survival. It's a brutal world, where even the strongest man fears death because he can be killed in his sleep. All men (humans) prefer any form of government over this, because this is chaos. We all need somebody to lead us, to bring justice to those who commit crimes (punishment).
Locke on the otherhand thought the State of Nature was one of equality. He believed that there was a very abundance of thingd in nature, and people will only take what they need and no more. It's a perfect world commanded by God's morality. Government shouldn't be needed, but if it is, it should be in a democratic form where everybody has equal power. Of course this is naive... if the State of Nature was so good, then why did we form government then?
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