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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Delve into what it was like to live during the eighteenth century by reading the first-hand accounts of everyday people, including city dwellers and farmers, businessmen and bankers, artisans and merchants, artists and their patrons, politicians and their constituents. Original texts make the American, French, and Industrial revolutions vividly contemporary.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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John Rylands University Library of Manchester

T155049

First published as 'Epistola de toleratia'.

Huddersfield : printed for the editor, by J. Brooke, 1796. [2],70p. ; 12° ... Read more

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A brief and enlightening exploration of one of our greatest thinkers.Amazon.com Review
In this addition to his popular series of miniature introductions to the great philosophers, Paul Strathern takes on John Locke, one of the first major empiricists. As always, Strathern does an excellent job of putting the philosopher and his work into historical context: Locke in 90 Minutes is particularly strong on showing how the turbulence of English politics during the mid-1600s set Locke on the road to philosophy and shaped his ideas on democracy. He provides clear summaries that demonstrate how Locke's empiricism was informed by the scientific spirit of the times as well as the more metaphysical ruminations of Descartes (though he would veer very sharply from the conclusions of his French near-contemporary). And there are several examples of Strathern's caustic wit, as in his description of Locke's long epistolary relationships with women as "a sort of Chinese water torture by correspondence." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Poor, Nasty, Brutish and Short
Author Strathern went too much for humor and sarcasm and left us with a short but unhelpful tome.Of the 59 pages of commentary, the first 20 or so were brutal to ge through, as Strathern focuses too much on trying to be funny and sarcastic and too little on teaching us about Locke's life and thinking.The latter part of the book does this, but it is too superficial and assumes too much prior knowledge from the reader.It is hard enough to keep track of who sat on the British throne let alone how Locke's ideas were influenced by those who preceded him and how he influenced those who followed; it is particularly in the latter where Strathern fails.I would not even recommend this as an introduction to Locke, unless one is interested in some of the more personal aspects of his life.

A waste of time and money...
Paul Strathern is confused.He thinks we buy his books because he is witty and irreverent.In fact, we buy them because we are misled by their titles, which seem to promise thoughtful introductions to interesting philosophers.As a result, Strathern and his readers are at cross-purposes, and neither gets what they really want.Strathern does not get an adoring audience that delights in his antics, because we do not care about him, and we did not come to laugh at Locke.We came to understand him, but we do not get a proper introduction, because Strathern is so busy displaying himself for our admiration that he hardly tells us what Locke actually said and did, only what he thinks of Locke.Strathern finds Locke boring, for example, but why does he think we should care?Does he think his boredom is an ironic mark of intellectual distinction that especially qualifies him to throw rocks at one of history's greatest thinkers?No, he is only making a bad joke and begging for our applause.In other words, Strathern is pathetic.He reminds me of the minor functionary who was asked to introduce a famous speaker, but who refused to leave the stage when he discovered that he loved to be the center of attention.And so he prattled on and on, abusing the embarrassed audience with his unwelcome opinions, while people shifted uncomfortably in their seats, hoping he would just shut up and let the real presentation begin. Someone should tell Strathern to just shut up and let the real presentation begin.Until they do, thoughtful readers must look elsewhere for an intelligent introduction to Locke (and to the many other topics Strathern has so effectively hidden behind himself).Fortunately, there are many fine authors who are not only better qualified to write about philosophy, but whose books actually deliver on their promise.I suggest you read one of them instead.

Abeneficient philosopher
Strathern tells in his usual humorous and fast- paced way the life of Locke, and provides his own take on Locke's thought. For Strathern Locke is one of the political thinkers who has done the most good. There is much to be said for this view as the emphasis in Locke on individual rights, on tolerance, on liberty are a major influence on the US Declaration of Independance and Constitution.
Locke also has a decisive influence on the philosophical tradition and turns it away from Aristotlian scholaticism toward learning through experience. In his great work an 'Essay on Human Understanding' Locke analyzes the way we come to know the world. He suggests quite in contradiction to what is believed today, that the mind is a tabula rasa a blank slate at the outset of life upon which experience freely writes. We today have more a sense of the inherent structures of the mind, linguistically and cognitively.
Locke's analysis of the 'impressions and ideas' we have in terms of our apprehension of the primary and secondary qualities of objects is based according to Strathern on the difference between the measurable and non- measurable qualities, and is thus related to the rise of scientific investigation during Locke's lifetime.
From Locke would of course follow Berkeley and after this the true demolition job of Hume. From the imperfect knowledge of the world through experience in Locke there would come in Hume a questioning of our ability to confidently know anything at all.
Locke is not one of the most brilliant of the great philosophers, but nonetheless one of the most influential.
Strathern does an excellent job of telling us how this is so.

why bother?
I found this book to be essentially useless.It presented a brief, boring biography of Locke with little attention to his world altering theories.Waste of time.

Strathern could have done better.
I think Paul Strathern is brilliant. He must have looked at the way the "...for Dummies" series has a standard format and done something similar. I was more impressed with his treatment of Confucius. In both this book on Locke and the one on Confucius he gives us 50 pp. of content in two sections: "Subject's Life and Works" and "Afterword".But in the book on Locke, Strathern spent too many words poking fun at Locke and calling him boring. He also spent much more effort in describing the life and times of Locke than his philosophy.I think Strathern must find Locke too boring to spend much time discussing his contributions. "From Socrates to Sarte: the Philosophic Quest" by T.Z.Lavine gives four chapters to Hume and a handful of pages to Locke. "The Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant doesn't give a full chapter to either Hume or Locke, merely including them within the context of philosophers whom Durant considers greater. So at least Strathern has given more individual focus to Locke than other writers popularizing philosophy. Strathern also, as part of his format in this 90 Minutes series, gives representative quotes from Locke's work. This is a very nice touch and I recommend the book for this reason. You can see that reading Locke is like reading the King James version of the Bible: "Huh? What did he say?" This is a decent book, but I did feel a bit let down while reading it, which is why I give it 3 instead of 4 stars. Also, the other reviewer made comments saying that Locke's philosophy of government depends on the inate goodness of people. That is only that reviewer's opinion. That did not come across at all in this presentation of Locke's work. ... Read more

Product Description
J. R. and Philip Milton present the first critical edition of John Locke's Essay concerning Toleration and a number of other writings on law and politics composed between 1667 and 1683. Although Locke never published any of these works himself they are of very great interest for students of his intellectual development because they are markedly different from the early works he wrote while at Oxford and show him working out ideas that were to appear in his mature political writings, the Two Treatises of Government and the Epistola de Tolerantia.

The Essay concerning Toleration was written in 1667, shortly after Locke had taken up residence in the household of his patron Lord Ashley, subsequently Earl of Shaftesbury. It has been in print since the nineteenth century, but this volume contains the first critical edition based on all the extant manuscripts; it also contains a detailed account of Locke's arguments and of the contemporary debates on comprehension and toleration. Also included are a number of shorter writings on church and state, including a short set of queries on Scottish church government (1668), Locke's notes on Samuel Parker (1669), and "Excommunication'"(1674).

The other two main works contained in this volume are rather different in character . One is a short tract on jury selection which was written at the time of Shaftesbury's imprisonment in 1681. The other is 'A Letter from a Person of Quality', a political pamphlet written by or for Shaftesbury in 1675 as part of his campaign against the Earl of Danby. This was published anonymously and is of disputed authorship; it was first attributed to Locke in 1720 and since then has occupied an uncertain position in the Locke canon. This volume contains the first critical edition based on contemporary printed editions and manuscripts and it includes a detailed account of the Letter's composition, authorship, and subsequent history.

This volume will be an invaluable resource for all historians of early modern philosophy, of legal, political, and religious thought, and of 17th century Britain. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subtitle: To Which Are Now First Added, I. an Analysis of Mr. Locke's Doctrine of Ideas, on a Large Sheet. Ii. a Defence of Mr. Locke's Opinion Concerning Personal Identity, With an Appendix. Iii. a Treatise on the Conduct of the Understanding. Iv. Some Thoughts Concerning Reading and Study for a Gentleman. V. Elements of Natural Philosophy. Vi. a New Method of a Common Place-Book Extracted From the Author's Works; Volume: 1; Original Published by: T. Tegg in 1828 in 391 pages; Subjects: Knowledge, Theory of; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Epistemology; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Complete book
The boos is a great synthesis of Locke`s book. Not just as a synthesis, it is still complete and the author wrote it in more understandable words than the pridinal, so it`s easier to read and understand Locke`s ideas, which are aplicable to nowadays

The old man and his essay
Mr locke lived a very long time ago and is dead. Thomas Jefferson used to be president of the United States said Mr Locke was a very smart man. I think this is a very long essay. I'm bettin' Mr. Jeffersondidn't read the whole thing in one sittin'.. the end... I am an old electrician and not a philosopher; I am in no way qualified to review or offer worthy commentary on Mr. Locke's work.

One of the major works inWestern Philosophy
It has been many years since I pondered and repondered over this volume. Locke is an important figure in the history of Western Philosophy. He is really the founding figure of the great empirical tradition which would go through Hume all the way up to the various analytical philosophies of the twentieth century.
He is also a major political thinker whose importance for the great founders of America cannot be overestimated.
Locke talks about the mind as tabula rasa as a blank slate which experience writes upon, and reflection compounds into ' complex ideas' The simple ideas come through experience. This total rejection of inherent ideas, and inherent structures of the mind is something which a lot of modern linguistic theory rejects.
As to the way we apprehend experience immediately I think here too Locke is in some way contradicted by modern psychological theory which would speak in some sense about our structuring that experience through our own participation in perception. In other words Locke's model of perception is I believe a far too ' passive one'. I cannot however judge, as I do not know enough about the subject whether or not Lockean categories in these areas of perception, reflection and in general description of the way we experience and know the world have any force today.
Locke's political thinking is incorporatedin the Declaration of Independence with its formulation of rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As strong opponent of tyrannical authorityin the political world Locke's thinking made a real impact on the world. He is one of those thinkers at the foundation of modern democratic thought.
The book is not easy reading. I can remember going back over it again and again to try and understand the difference between primary and secondary qualities- I can remember trying to understand how much of what Locke says has validity and is ' really the truth'.
Parenthetically I think of how as a young person knowing the truth finding the truth was such a supreme value for me. And how I thus felt it so important to know whether Locke was ' right' or not. Time and experience perhaps have made me worse. And I see this work as yet one more effort to interpret and understand Reality . This is as if to say I at this age anyway seem to accept the idea that I myself will not know and find the truth in regard to everything, including the philosophy of Locke.
Again. This is one of the major works of Western philosophy and it should be read and studied by one who cares to know the Western philosophical tradition.

Not unless you need it...
For the most part, this book is unreadable and uninspiring. The abridged editions are not much better. It was highly influential in its time, so it's standard reading for history-of-philosophy courses. This is one of several excellent reasons why you shouldn't take history of philosophy courses.

For the voluntary reader, the fact that Locke was highly influential also means that his ideas have been developed into something clearer and more interesting by the intervening generations. Read Hume or a 20th-cent. empiricist instead.

Worth Re-Cognising
Any search for this text will result in a plethora of commentaries upon it, whilst it itself seems almost doomed to take second place. The importance of this work to philosophy cannot be underestimated; Descartes is held in common perception to be the figure who changed the course of philosophy. Whilst it is true he may have dipped his toes in uncharted waters, Locke was the first to plunge in. Here we find human understanding stripped to its first principles and from there rebuilt in such a fashion as to purge the presumptions of our age. Locke recommends modesty to the philosopher and thinker throughout and in our current times this message might need restated. In a world, which owes so much to the United States Constitution, it would be appropriate for us all to see what it owed its own origins to and be recalled to values of liberty, modesty and reason in a way which does not rush headlong into a catastrophe of pride. ... Read more

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John Locke was an English philosopher who is regarded as the "father of liberalism." His thinking had a profound influence on political philosophy; in fact, the founding fathers who drafted the Constitution of the United States based a portion of its content upon Locke's tenets. However, it can be argued that these Lockean concepts are ill-adapted to realities of the modern world, and as such are the root cause of dysfunction in our body politic today—and are hampering the Obama administration's attempts to effect change.

This book traces the evolution of liberalism as a political philosophy in England and the United States from the 18th century to today. The author presents a series of historical and contemporary studies that illustrate how John Locke's political philosophy of antisocial individualism continues to affect modern American culture. Additionally, this book attempts to address why American "conservatives" are actually liberal, how American "liberals" can also be deemed liberal, to provide direction in getting American politics moving again, and restore the American dream for ourselves and our children.

Customer Reviews (2)

Typical Bleeding Heart Liberal
I can think of no one who has so relentlessly sought to lay the blame for nearly all of America's social, political, economic, legal, and educational ills at the feet of John Locke than does Nevins in this text.Indeed, the argument of this manuscript strains credulity nearly to the breaking point as it pursues its single-minded effort to lodge all of America's present dilemmas on its acceptance of Lockean liberalism.From failing schools, to inequalities in health care, to infrastructural decay, gun violence, and anti-intellectualism: it is hard to imagine any thinker who has been held accountable for so much as is this 17th century thinker in this manuscript.

Timely, insightful work.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in politics or philosophy. The timing of this book is perfect given the screaming, frantic, raving background of the Tea Party and the "success" of the politicians it has backed - from Christine O'Donnell to the Nazi-imitating Rich Iott. I really enjoyed how Nevins framed the philosophy and history which continues to dominate American politics in an accessible and provoking manner.

For anyone who is frustrated with the the American political system - whether you are a progressive shaking your head once again at how Democrats are managing to once again shoot themselves in the foot, or whether you are a conservative who feels that the Republican party has surrendered to the reactionary right-wing movement - you will thoroughly enjoy Nevins' thoughts on the state of American politics. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1689, John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding is widely recognised as among the greatest works in the history of Western philosophy. The Essay puts forward a systematic empiricist theory of mind, detailing how all ideas and knowledge arise from sense experience. Locke was trained in mechanical philosophy and he crafted his account to be consistent with the best natural science of his day. The Essay was highly influential and its rendering of empiricism would become the standard for subsequent theorists. This Companion volume includes fifteen new essays from leading scholars. Covering the major themes of Locke's work, they explain his views while situating the ideas in the historical context of Locke's day and often clarifying their relationship to ongoing work in philosophy. Pitched to advanced undergraduates and graduate students, it is ideal for use in courses on early modern philosophy, British empiricism and John Locke. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Invaluable
This readable companion contains essays on Locke as a thinker and specifically on Locke's Essay.

The first essay looks at Locke's intellectual development and those who influenced him. The second essay puts Locke's tabula rasa in context. The third essay deals with Locke's concept of "ideas."

Overall, most of the essays in this volume are insightful and provide invaluable aid to understanding Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding.

Highly recommended!

... Read more

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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:and the faculty of speaking as clearly as language was capable to express their thoughts. H nc n - §10. What obscurity this has unavoid- voidableob- ably brought upon the writings of men, who- scurity in have lived in remote ages and different ancient au- 'countries, it will be needless to take notice ; since the numerous volumes of learned men, employing their thoughts that way, are proofs more than enough to show what attention, study, sagacity, and reasoning are required, to find out the true meaning of ancient authors. But there being no writings we have any great concernment to be very solicitous about the meaning of, but those that contain either truths we are required to believe, or laws we are to obey, and draw in- conveniencies on us when we mistake or transgress, we "may be less anxious about the sense of other authors ; who writing but their own opinions, we are under no greater necessity to know them, than they to know ours. "Our good or evil depending not on their decrees, we may safely be ignorant of their noti6ns: and therefore, in the reading of them, if they do not use their words with a due clearness and perspicuity, we may lay them aside, and, without any injury done them, resolve thus with ourselves," Si non vis intelligi, debes negligi." Names of §11. If the signification of the names ofsubstances of mixed modes are uncertain, because there doubtful sig- ke no reai standards existing in nature, to catlon. which those ideas are referred, and by which they may be adjusted ; the names of substances are of a doubtful signification, for a contrary reason, viz. because tiae ideas they stand for are supposed conformable to the reality of things, and are referred to standards made by nature. In our jdeas of substances we have not the liberty, as in mixed modes... ... Read more

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As one of the early Enlightenment philosophers in England, John Locke sought to bring reason and critical intelligence to the discussion of the origins of civil society. Endeavouring to reconstruct the nature and purpose of government, a social contract theory is proposed. "The Second Treatise" sets forth a detailed discussion of how civil society came to be and the nature of its inception. Locke's discussion of tacit consent, separation of powers, and the right of citizens to revolt against repressive governments, has made the Second Treatise one of the most influential essays in the history of political philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great Book
I had to read this book for my Political Science class.Having said that i am glad that I read it.This is a very good work showing Locke's thoughts on government which were ahead of his time.

Book was formatted well too.

Very Worthwhile Read
This work by John Locke should be read in its entirety.Too often the condensed descriptions of this book make Mr. Locke to seem rather naive.First there is the natural state of humanity before the formation of civil government.Locke does not really try to propound this period or situation as a utopia.He admits that in the natural state there would be strife.Instead what Locke does is formulate how rational beings would exist in a state of nature without a governing authority.In essence Locke formulates commonly consented rules by humans living in proximity.Thus Locke prefigures Frederick Hayek's order without design (see Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 1: Rules and Order.Locke believed in a God of Reason and demonstrated how reason is the basic means humans can live together in absence of governing authority.

Locke uses his basic rational order to demonstrate that humans created the governing authority to protect human life and property.It should be stressed that Locke considers the labor of a person to be his property.Thus slavery and forced labor become a type of robbery.

Readers will note that Locke separates the community, which basically consists of people using their informal rules and manners, from the government.Locke demonstrates that government is not a be all but has only certain limited functions in the community.

Locke then demonstrates that a ruler who governs for the benefit of himself or for the benefit of a small elite to the detriment of the rest of the citizens of the community is in effect making war on the community and its members.Such a ruler should be overthrown.

Locke thus provides the rational for overthrowing absolute monarchs and other tyrants.Locke demonstrates that the totalitarian Nazi, Leninist, and Maoist tyrants have no right to govern since the basic principle is to confiscate the property and people of the community to serve the leadership.

Locke, when read in its entirety, is a strong voice for liberty and justice.

Most Representative Thinker in Anglo-American Tradition
John Locke (1632-1704) wrote "Second Treatise of Government" in 1690, it was the main political philosophical source that our "Founding Fathers" went to in writing the "Declaration of Independence" and in forming our government.I think you should know something of Locke to understand what influenced his thinking.His father was a small landowner, attorney, Puritan and his political sympathies were with the Cromwell Parliament.Like Hobbes, Locke attended Oxford Univ. and did not think much about the curriculum or his professors.Most of his education came from reading books in the Univ. library.Renee Descartes and Sir Isaac Newton's writings greatly influenced Locke.Like Hobbes, he took a tutoring job teaching the son of the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, and traveled Europe.His friendship with the Earl was beneficial in obtaining government appointments.During the political unrest in England, (1679-83) he fled to Holland because his liberal notions put him at odds with the government.

Locke writes the "Second Treatise of Government" to justify the Revolt of 1688 and the ascension of William of Orange to the English throne.The book argues against two lines of absolutist ideas.The first is Sir Robert Filmer's "patriarchal theory of divine right of kings; secondly, Hobbes argument for the sovereign's absolute power in his book "Leviathan."Locke argues that government emanates from the people.Locke's treatise rests like other political writings on its interpretation of human nature.He sees our nature opposite the way Hobbes did, decent and not as selfish or competitive.Man is more inclined to join society through reason and not fear.Man prefers stability to change.

His very important contribution to "law of nature" theory was his bias toward individualism.In state of nature, before government, men were free independent, equal enjoying inalienable rights "chief among them being life, liberty, and property."Where have you read that before?Property rights receive much attention in this treatise.Locke argues that government based on consent of man can still preserve freedom independence and equality.

His political writing had immediate influence in the world and influenced our founding fathers in their struggle against tyranny.He is an excellent writer and his theories are easy to understand by the laymen.As a graduate student of political philosophy, I recommend if you have an interest in politics, philosophy, or government then you must read Locke's "Second Treatise of Government"

Truly worthwhile
I love what he said about government, politics and toleration.It's kind of cool how he used the bible to push his point.This work is very influential and has been the modern foundation for many governments.Where would America be without John Locke?I believe that he was at the fore front of the British enligtenment.Along with Newton and Boyle he made the modern world what it is today.

A reflection to the Declaration of Independence
The Second Treatise of Government provides Locke's theorizes the individual rights and involvement with the government; he categorizes them in two areas -- natural rights theory and social contract. 1.Natural state; rights which human beings are to have before government comes into being. 2.Social contact; when conditions in natural state are unsatisfactory, and there's need to develop society into functioning of central government.

Political Power and Natural state: He explains the need for civil government; by detailing life with the absence of civil government. This is the premature state of an entity; through this one can see the need and a role for a government structure.He begins by defining political power; which is the right of making laws with penalties varying with the nature of transgression. The laws are maintained for the preservation of property; the enrichment of the community and its defense.
He determines the need for civil government by expressing the state of society without a government.To maintain harmony; there is a need to maintain equality; this is the state of nature. The chief end for the human species is survival; to attain it we need life, liberty, health and property. These are natural rights that we have in a state of nature before the introduction of civil government, and all people have these rights equally.
The Natural State personifies a state of utopia; as it does not account for the realistic issues of violations of this natural state. There are no police, prosecutors or judges in the state of nature as these are all representatives of a government with full political power.In addition to our other rights, we have the rights to enforce the law and judge on our own behalf. We may intervene in cases where our own interests are not directly under threat to help enforce the law of nature. Still, the person who is most likely to enforce the law under these circumstances is the person who has been wronged. The basic principle of justice is that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. When victims are judging a crime; they likely to judge it of greater severity than an impartial judge.As a result, there will be miscarriages of justice.

Slavery:Is the state of being in the absolute or arbitrary power of another. On Locke's definition of slavery there is only one way to become a legitimate slave. In order to do so one must be an unjust aggressor defeated in war. The just victor then has the option to either kill the aggressor or enslave them. Locke tells us that the state of slavery is the continuation of the state of war between a lawful conqueror and a captive, in which the conqueror delays to take the life of the captive, and instead makes use of him; only in this condition is slavery legitimate.Illegitimate slavery is the state in which someone possesses absolute power over someone else without just cause. Locke holds that it is this illegitimate state of slavery which absolute monarchs wish to impose upon their subjects.

Property:In evolution of the state of nature to civil government. It is the account of nature and origin of property, which leads to the explanation of why civil government replaces the state of nature. In discussing the origin of private property Locke begins by noting that God gave the earth to all men.Locke holds that we have a property in our own person. And the labor of our body and the work of our hands properly belong to us. The state of evolution for property is hunter/gatherer to agriculture to introduction of money; each development provides more flexibility and removes limitations of trade; creating economical inequality. The inequality may cause quarrels which increases the numbers of violations of the law.
The institution of civil government comes about because of the difficulties in the state of nature. Rather clearly, on Locke's view, these difficulties increase with the increase in population, the decrease in available resources, and the advent of economic inequality which results from the introduction of money. These conditions lead to an increase in the number of violations of the natural law. Thus, the inconvenience of having to redress such grievances on one's own behalf become much more acute, since there are significantly more of them. These lead to the introduction of civil government.

Social Contract Theory:Locke's argument for the right of the majority is the theoretical ground for the distinction between duty to society and duty to government. When the designated government dissolves, men remain obligated to society acting through majority rule. It is entirely possible for the majority to confer the rule of the community on a king, oligarchs or an assembly. Thus, the social contract is not linked to democracy; still a government must perform the legitimate function of government.

Civil Government: The aim of such a legitimate civil government is to preserve, so far as possible, the rights to life, liberty, health and property of its citizens, and to prosecute and punish those of its citizens who violate the rights of others and to pursue the public good even where this may conflict with the rights of individuals. In doing this it provides something unavailable in the state of nature, an impartial judge to determine the severity of the crime, and to set a punishment proportionate to the crime. ... Read more

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When we last encountered Donovan Creed, former CIA assassin and freelance killer, he had successfully stolen billions of dollars from the world's most lethal criminals. Now all he wants is a romantic Florida vacation with the very sexy Rachel -- no fire ants, bi-polar girlfriends, rabid squirrels, accident prone homicidal maniacs, hailstorms, hairless cats, gangs, faith healers, or pirates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Now&Then Review 10.21
I uttered a pirate's grizzly "arrrrrrrrgh," as Locke's crime novel never steered us back to "now" at the B&B in Florida after leaving to "then" in the 1700's mysterious secret past.I felt pirated of that gold that is his first person style.What happened to Rachel and Creed?Part one, five stars; part two, one.

John Locke is destined to be one of the great novelists of our time.
Once again, John Locke has left me dumbfounded with his writing prowess.If you want to become immersed in a fast-pasted, breath-taking literary thrill ride with delightful sprinklings of humor, murder, mystery, romance, and mayhem, read every Donovan Creed novel you can afford to buy.

Excellent Read...
This being my first John Locke novel I wasn't sure what to expect, but I must say that I was that I was beyond pleasantly surprised.I fell in love with Donovan, his girlfriend and all of the other characters in this book.It is a unique mix of action, romance and humor.I read it cover to cover in one day, I think that anyone who picks up this book will enjoy it as much as I did.I now count John Locke as one of my new favorite authors and can't wait to read more of his work, especially the Donovan Creed series.

Fantastic Read...
This book will hook you right from the beginning.It is a great mix of action and fantasy.I thought the main character, Donovan, was great.The author does such a good job in making all of the characters come to life, it seems as if you've known them forever.I really enjoyed how well John Locke mixed both the Now and Then parts of the book.They flowed seamlessly and were very easy to follow.

This was my first John Locke book and am looking forward to reading many more from him.I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something to read on a nice fall weekend.You won't be sorry.

The beach sand was hot and we wanted to go for a swim
When you are in trouble, do you want to be saved by the computer guy or the one who kicks butt and leave a trail of blood and broken bones all over the place?Picture this: It's Florida and hot, Donovan is spending time with his girlfriend, but someone has other plans for him; they want him dead.Did I mention hot and with his girlfriend?If you have read about Donovan Creed in any of John Locke's books, then you know what I mean about hot.He is rough around the edges and knows what to say to make himself beautiful to you.This is one guy that is beautiful inside.The scars on the outside are battle scars from his different events.In each book, John Locke lets you know a little more about him and his past.It was a tough one!This is not for the weak and weary but it is a good romance if you like muscle thrown in on the side.The girl, a knockout, beautiful body, great features and face. Can you really have those colored eyes with that hair?Hmm, no wonder people stare at her.Is it beauty and the beast?No, it is just Donovan Creed with his girl on the beach.Now, if they would just leave him alone... ... Read more

Product Description
John Locke (1632-1704) one of the greatest English philosophers of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, argued in his masterpiece, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, that our knowledge is founded in experience and reaches us principally through our senses; but its message has been curiously misunderstood. In this book John Dunn shows how Locke arrived at his theory of knowledge, and how his exposition of the liberal values of toleration and responsible government formed the backbone of enlightened European thought of the eighteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Short version of masterpiece of Locke scholarship
Admittedly Dunn is not an easy read, but then who said intellectual history was always easy. Dunn is the author of one of the most important and subtle books on Locke, The Political Thought of John Locke. It is also very expensive and much more difficult a read than this introduction. It was part of the great reappraisal of Locke after the Laslett edition and a masterpiece of the Cambridge contextual school of intellectual history perhaps most associated with Quentin Skinner. These texts are difficult because they don't give simplistic usable history; rather, they try to understand what the authors were actually doing in the text. If this is not your cup of tea, then certainly forget this book. If you're interested in profound scholarship on a budget, this just might be the ticket. Fantastic book.

Not the key to Locke
Locke was a hugely important thinker, and his work was very influential, in fact dominant, in the early stage of the Enlightenment.He was a particularly strong influence on Voltaire and Rousseau, and his arguments on individual liberty were later to guide the American Founding Fathers.It is difficult to overrate his importance as one of the founders of modern philosophy.It is even more difficult to gain any insight into this from reading Dunn's book.

The problem is that Dunn cannot write.He may well have a thorough understanding of Locke's work, but he is not letting on.This does not matter so much in the early part of the book, which deals with Locke's biography, but in the latter part, dealing with the philosophy, Locke's thought is rendered entirely opaque by Dunn's prose.It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what is at fault.The structure and meaning of individual sentences are sound enough, but they are assembled into paragraphs that don't actually tell us much.For example, we learn that Locke's proof of the existence of God would not impress many modern readers, but we are not told what that proof is.The blurb on the cover tells us that Locke's message has been 'curiously misunderstood', but the book itself does not explain how or why.

After forcing my way through this book, I spent an hour or so on the Internet and learned far more about the subject.I recommend you do the same.
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John Locke's classic work

Works include:
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding: Volume 1
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding: Volume 2
A Letter Concerning Toleration
Two Treatises of Government ... Read more

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This book provides a major new historical account of the development of the political, religious, social and moral thought of the political theorist and philosopher John Locke. It offers reinterpretations of several of his most important works, particularly the Two Treatises, and includes extensive analyses of his unpublished manuscripts. Professor Marshall's arguments challenge many other scholars' interpretations of the character and influences of Locke's moral, social and religious thought and provide an alternative account. ... Read more

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This volume brings together the principal writings on religious toleration and freedom of expression by one of the greatest philosophers in the Anglophone tradition. It contains not only Locke's canonical "Letter Concerning Toleration" (1689), but also his early "Essay Concerning Toleration" (1667), extracts from the "Third Letter for Toleration" (1692), and a large body of Locke's briefer essays and memoranda on these themes. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

John Locke: A Lost Treasure Trove for Serious Christians
Please pardon the incomplete review; but inasmuch as no other customer has reviewed John Locke's "The Reasonableness of Christianity," this review may be better than none at all.
Locke's wonderful treatise itself is only 53 pages long.It's not easy reading, both because of the density of Locke's thought, and because he wrote it a little over three hundred years ago.It's truly unfortunate and unnecessary that his work is essentially lost to modern Christianity.
For today's reader, by far the most important aspect of this treatise is the way Locke clearly demonstrates Jesus' divinity. Locke shows that Jesus could not have been merely a philosopher nor merely a rabbi: that Jesus' teachings were not to be found in any school of philosophy; that much of Jesus' fundamental ministry contradicted Judaism.I won't try to summarize Locke's demonstration.But I do point out that the Church in America has been doing a pathetic job of demonstrating Jesus' divinity to well-meaning rational non-believers.
Lazy readers and lazy thinkers will continue not to bother their brains with Locke.But his thoughts need to be resurrected if we want to show clearly and reasonably that Jesus was divine.
Of course, there is much more in this slender, inexpensive volume.Locke explains how we ought to read the Epistles in order to get a good understanding of them.Locke discusses the evidence for revelation.
Any person, Christian or not, who is dismayed by the rampant immorality that infects all areas of life in America, might agree with Locke's 300 yr old observation that "'tis plain in fact, that human reason unassisted, failed men in its great and proper business of morality. . . .And he that shall collect all the moral rules of the philosophers, and compare them with those contained in the New Testament, will find them to come short of the morality delivered by Our Saviour, and taught by his apostles; a college made up, for the most part, of ignorant but inspired fishermen."
I believe that moral relativism has badly failed America.Moving away from being ruled by God's laws, we turned to the wisdom of 'thinkers', and continued downhill toward the position that every person's morality is as valid as anyone else's, and that there is no God, no eternal truths.John Locke's "The Reasonableness of Christianity" can help us better understand how to combat this situation; and is therefore relevant to our lives, and well worth the effort to read. ... Read more

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Locke lived at a time of heightened religious sensibility, and religious motives and theological beliefs were fundamental to his philosophical outlook. Here, Victor Nuovo brings together the first comprehensive collection of Locke's writings on religion and theology. These writings illustrate the deep religious motivation in Locke's thought. ... Read more

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This book discusses the ethics of belief that Locke developed in the last book of his Essay: how we ought to govern our opinions, especially on matters of religion and morality. Wolterstorff shows that this concern was instigated by the collapse of a once-unified moral and religious tradition in Europe into warring factions. After presenting Hume's powerful attack on Locke's recommended practice, Wolterstorff argues for Locke's originality and emphasizes his contribution to the "modernity" of post-sixteenth-century philosophy. ... Read more

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This text brings together the book and related articles which put forward the first formal economic theory of the behaviour of bureaucracies. William Niskanen Jr has consistently argued that bureaucrats have personal objectives - that differ from those of both their political supervisors and the general public - which they further by use of their monopoly power. He develops his argument to contend that government budgets have become too large and should be curtailed. All of Professor Niskanen's contributions to this field have been brought together in this volume, including his article on "The Peculiar Economics of Bureaucracy", the full text of the book "Bureaucracy and Representative Government, and his recent reassessment of the larger body of scholarship on the economic of bureaucracy. ... Read more