Book Description
John Locke's "Two Treatises of Government" are considered to be some of the most important works of western philosophy ever written. In the first treatise Locke disputes the divine right of monarchial rule principle that is put forth in the book "Patriarcha" by Sir Robert Filmer. In the second treatise Locke sets forth the basic principles of natural law that lay the foundation for basic human rights and the government of man. Also contained within this volume is the shorter work, "A Letter Concerning Toleration." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

DONT BE SCARED! Locke for non-scholars
I'm no genius. A pedant, perhaps, and an arrogant jerk, but not a guy with the kind of education it seems other reviewers have. I can't tell you who Locke's friends were or what his political connections were, either. I have some vague notion that Locke's and Mill's ideas influenced the philisophical basis of the American founding documents, but I'm just a soldier who sometimes likes to bite off more than he can chew--I wan't to know the stuff them smart people do, and don't see any reason I shouldn't!

So if you're like me, let me encourage you to get this book. Your friends will almost certainly call you a nerd (after all, who reads 17th century political philosophy for FUN?), and it'll take a few pages to cut your teeth on the language, but after you get going, this book is a breeze. I can't tell you the philisophical doctrines nor their framework in several distinct points, but I can tell you this: the language, to one of average education, was a little hard to wrap my brain around, but what worked for me was just to set a pace and trudge through it without getting hung up on the one sentence that twisted my mind into a pretzel. After a few pages (maybe 10 or 15) I found that my brain was correcting for the nature of the wording, and for the rest of the book, I swear, I understood what was going on through the second treatise and the Letter, too.

After I got going, I was all highlighters and folded corners, but it had too many profound and simple statements to save them all in my head. If you're even vaguely political, this book will make points as absolutely applicable to today's world politics as it did to those of the bygone time. It applies from everything from the crazy long haired hippie communist democrats to the crazy power-mad Neocons, but it'll make you wish with all your heart that both ruling parties of American Government would give it a quick read over the recess.

Anyhow, I rate this work as 4 stars out of 5. Mostly that's because I have absolutely nothing to compare it against, and am therefore hesitant to give it 5 stars, because it's the first political philosophy I've ever read. But dammit, it seems like a pretty good one to me. Just don't let it scare you off, you don't need to be a genious to understand this. Let's even the playing field between us regular people and the academic jerks (love you guys, really, just making a point) that like to write reviews even Locke wouldn't understand :) This stuff is great, and it's great for even those who, like me, are only moderately intelligent readers.

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"

Check your history fellas.
John Locke died nearly ninety years before the constitution was written.The likes of Jefferson and Hamilton referenced this book in their respective endeavors to frame our constitution and sunbsequent government.

Correction
John Locke did not "steal" his ideas from the constitution; his writings were the basis for many of Thomas Jefferson's ideas in the Declaration and subsequently influenced the American constitution. His treatise is a defining moment in political writings and a must read for anyone who is interested in history, politics or philosophy. This is a good book that covers his key writings. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

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"
... Read more

Book Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pomona Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

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.

Only to Be Used in Scholarly Research
The Nidditch edition of Locke's Essay is commonly considered the authoritative version of the text.This in mind, the Nidditch text is to be avoided for the beginner to Locke.This is not due to any oversights or editorial intrusion that corrupts the work.Considering Nidditch restored the text and avoided the common editorial tendency to use paragraph introductions for each section (which Locke did not), atop of not having to contend with translation liberties, it stands as the only scholarly edition of the work.However, because it is restored to its original state, one must remember that capitalization for any and all (deemed) pertinent terms or phrases was a common practice during Locke's time.As such, readers in the 21st century typically associate a capitalized letter (unless it is a proper name or title) with a new sentence, thus a new thought.Having to continuously reorganize one's thoughts to conform to Locke's now archaic prose style (which occurs anywhere from one to six or more times in a typical sentence) distracts from the overall content of the work.As such, the reader may be well advised to obtain another critical edition of the work and use the Nidditch text as a reference tool.

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.

Outstanding work from a Giant of a Mind.
The most important book in the History of Western Philosophy.Anyone wishing to understand the western tradition will have to grapple with this work eventually.

Its not that Locke got everything right, but he does at least point us in the right direction. ... Read more

Book Description
No other series of classic texts achieves the editorial standard of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with contextual and critical materials that bring the work to life for students. Careful editing, first-rate translation, thorough explanatory annotations, chronologies, and selected bibliographies make each text accessible to students while encouraging in-depth study. Each volume in the series is printed on acid-free paper, and every text remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice of excellence for scholarship for students at more than 2,500 colleges and universities worldwide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Table of Contents would be helpful
Locke's work remains of enduring value and need not be described further. The accompanying academic writings are incisive and well-respected. They provide a variety of perspectives from different theoretical biases. For the budding philosophy student or seasoned appellate counsel, this comprehensive work offers the solid base for a mature appreciation of Locke's accomplishments and weaknesses.

That said, the book suffers from two grievous flaws. First, the font is exceptionally small and I had to resort to my 1.75 glasses. Second, and more damning -- especially for a compendium, there is no table of contents. This reflects poorly upon the publisher. For those reasons, I knock off the stars.

Content - 5 stars
Presentation - 2 stars

He defines what it means to be civilized!
John Locke has more influence on Western political culture than just providing Jefferson with his ideas and words for the Declaration of independence.Through his writings, particularly through his Second Treatise and Social Contract, he defines what it means to be civilized.

Combatants and non-combatants, criminals and soldiers, he presents a clarity that is missing in today's political world.If only our political leaders, and members of the press would read Locke . . there would be less ambiguity on who is and who is not deserving of our attention.As an example, non-combatants have never given their permission to be a potential target, and anyone not respecting this fact is a criminal.Period.

Some of his writings may no longer be relevant, such as his arguments against divine rights of kings, and he may be too idealistic in his expectations that people will only take what they need, but he was writing over 300 years ago, within a political climate quite different than at the present time, and at least some of his remarks should be placed in this perspective.
... Read more

Book Description
This book brings together a comprehensive collection of the writings of one of the greatest philosophers in the Western tradition. Along with five of John Locke's major essays, seventy shorter essays are included that stand outside the canonical works that Locke published during his lifetime. For the first time students will be able to fully explore the evolution of Locke's ideas concerning the philosophical foundations of morality and sociability, the boundary of church and state, the shaping of constitutions, and the conduct of government and public policy. ... Read more

Book Description
This study provides a comprehensive reinterpretation of the meaning of Locke's political thought. John Dunn restores Locke's ideas to their exact context, and so stresses the historical question of what Locke in the Two Treatises of Government was intending to claim. By adopting this approach, he reveals the predominantly theological character of all Locke's thinking about politics and provides a convincing analysis of the development of Locke's thought. In a polemical concluding section, John Dunn argues that liberal and Marxist interpretations of Locke's politics have failed to grasp his meaning. Locke emerges as not merely a contributor to the development of English constitutional thought, or as a reflector of socio-economic change in seventeenth-century England, but as essentially a Calvinist natural theologian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

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"
... Read more

Book Description
This is the first comprehensive biography in half a century of John Locke - “a man of versatile mind, fitted for whatever you shall undertake”, as one of his many good friends very aptly described him. Against an exciting historical background of the English Civil War, religious intolerance and bigotry, anti-Government struggles and plots, and the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Roger Woolhouse interweaves the events of Locke's rather varied life with detailed expositions of his developing ideas in medicine, theory of knowledge, philosophy of science, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and economics.Chronologically systematic in its coverage, this volume offers an account and explanation of Locke's ideas and their reception, while entering at large into the details of his private life of intimate friendships and warm companionship, and of the increasingly visible public life into which, despite himself, he was drawn - Oxford tutor, associate of Shaftesbury, dutiful civil servant.Based on broad research and many years' study of Locke's philosophy, this will be the authoritative biography for years to come of this truly versatile man whose long-standing desire was for quiet residence in his Oxford college engaged in the study and practise of medicine and natural philosophy, yet who, after years in political exile, finally became an over-worked but influential public servant and who is seen now as one of the most significant early modern philosophers.Roger Woolhouse is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of York.He is the author of many journal articles and books on early modern philosophy, including The Empiricists, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and, with R.Francks, Leibniz's “New System”. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well Balanced
This is a fascinating biography of the great Locke. It is well balanced in details of both the life and movements of Locke, as well as providing some concise discussion on his various works.

I was left the thought as to just how Locke's works may have developed if he, like all in his age, did not have the threat of religious politics breathing down his neck. I tend to believe he would have been a lot closer to Hume if he had both lived in Hume's age and had Hume courage ( and lack of political ambition!)

A great biography that almost demands to be finished in one sitting. ... Read more

Book Description
TO EDWARD CLARKE, of Chipley, Esq. SIR:THESE thoughts concerning education, which now come abroad into the world, do of right belong to you, being written several years since for your sake, and are no other than what you have already by you in my letters. I have so little vary'd any thing, but only the order of what was sent you at different times, and on several occasions, that the reader will easily find, in the familiarity and fashion of the stile, that they were rather the private conversation of two friends, than a discourse design'd for publick view. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Link from the Essay to the Two Treatises
This is an outstanding volume from one of the most important thinkers of Western civilization.This is a bridge linking the two major classics from Locke, An Essay concerning Human Understanding and the Two Treatises of Government.In this volume, we see Locke's dependence on Stoic philosophy (especially that of Seneca) and the effect that Aristotelian philosophy had on him.

"As the Strength of the Body lies chiefly in being able to endure Hardships, so also does that of the Mind.And the great Principle and Foundation of all Vertue and Worth, is . . . That a Man is able to deny himself his own Desires, cross his own Inclinations, and purely follow what Reason directs as best, tho' that appetite lean the other way."And how does one do this?Locke's answer is through education (i.e., through habit).

Anyone wishing to understand the thought and philosophy of Locke, can not afford to ignore this volume in the corpus of Lockean writings.This edition is a very scholarly edition, there is another modern edition available as well.To bad the editors of the Clarendon Edition of the Works of John Locke are not very organized, at the rate these volumes are being produced, the complete writings will not be available during my lifetime.

The world needs a modern edition of the writings of Locke, he is too important a thinker not to have this - if nothing else, for us inspiring Lockean scholars.:o) ... Read more

Amazon.com
"No one ever had common sense before John Locke," said Bertrand Russell, chauvinistically adding, "and no one but Englishmen have ever had it since." Commonsensical or not, Locke produced two masterpieces of profound importance: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises of Government. In The Cambridge Companion to Locke, 10 eminent Locke scholars systematically survey his philosophy, amply demonstrating (as editor Vere Chappell remarks) "the vitality and quality of current Locke scholarship." No student of Locke will want to ignore it.

The first essay discusses Locke's life and times; the last essay discusses his far-reaching influence. In between, fully half of the essays are devoted to topics discussed in Locke's Essay. Locke's theory of ideas is expounded by Chappell, who hints at its importance by remarking that the word idea is the most frequently used noun in the Essay. It is puzzling that there is no complete essay here on the renowned distinction between primary and secondary qualities; fortunately, the concept is clearly explained in Edwin McCann's excellent essay on Locke's philosophy of body. Jonathan Bennett struggles valiantly to squeeze as much of Locke's philosophy of mind as he can into one essay; the result is useful if cramped. Other aspects of Locke's thought are not neglected; in particular, his moral thought and political theory receive careful treatment from J.B. Schneewind and the late Richard Ashcraft. His philosophy of religion is discussed by Nicholas Wolterstorff, who continues his discussion in his monograph John Locke and the Ethics of Belief. --Glenn Branch Book Description
The essays in this volume provide a systematic survey of Locke's philosophy informed by the most recent scholarship. They cover Locke's theory of ideas, his philosophies of body, mind, language, and religion, his theory of knowledge, his ethics, and his political philosophy. There are also chapters on Locke's life and subsequent influence. New readers and nonspecialists will find this the most convenient, accessible guide to Locke currently available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good introduction to a great thinker
I just wanted to counter the review of the first writer on this book - this companion to Locke's thought is pitched extremely well between the needs of the new reader and a Locke scholar. Each of the articles are accessible, providing an interesting take on each of the subjects tackled. They are certainly not a simple read, however, and the reader is required to make an effort to understand the different strands of argument being discussed. The difficulties of understanding are far from insurmountable and the reader is provided with a sense of achievement in reaching a useful understanding of each subject under discussion. The articles cover all the major areas of Locke's philosophical work (with perhaps an emphasis on his epistemology and metaphysics) and there is an excellent biographical sketch. There is also a fine bibliography of Locke's works and related scholarly material. This book is a useful and informative introduction to Locke's thought. It does require an effort of understanding, but this effort is well-rewarded.

Too ambitious to be good
Like others books in the Collection of Cambridge Companion, this volume on Locke's philosophy is too difficult to for new readers and too simple and general for scholars that already knows the basics of Locke's thought.Moreover, of the diffeents essays pubblied in this Companion, some are veryusefull for a wide and general look. I think it's a good tool to graduatestudents looking for exapnding their knows on the political theory of XVIIIcentury. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
This essential volume features John Locke's hand-corrected text with an outstanding introduction to Locke's life and role in intellectual history, his principal works, and their purpose. Written by the editor, Richard Cox, the introduction also outlines the course of both treatises of government and analyzes the problems of interpretation. Also included are a list of the principal dates in the life of John Locke as well as a selected bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Seminal
This is usually the third book you read in a Political Philosophy course after "The Republic" and the "Nichomachean Ethics".

Locke comes to an understanding of "society", "government", and "property", among a number of notions central to our way of life. Doing that, he's also justifying them, as they exist.He states better and more clearly than anyone else what it is we think these things are and why we should view them as good. I don't know if anyone is thought to have done these particular things any better. (I guess I'm saying that Hobbes, Rousseau, etc., did other things.)

Lots of good stuff written here on this. Just think it's worth pointing out that Locke's argument for man's leaving the state of nature and his argument for the establishment of property are notoriously inconsistent.

The "state of nature" is more rhetorical device or thought-experiment than historical description.Nonetheless, it is essential to the argument.

Oh well. Plato's dialogues often end in despair.

I wish more people knew political philosophy.It would raise the general level of discussion. People would spend less time monkeying demagogues, charlatans, and hucksters.

Good edition too.

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"

The Right to Revolution and Natural Rights Philosopher
John Locke's Second Treatise on Government is the Natural Rights philosophy's greatest essay. Locke, an English freethinker, wrote both his Frist and Second Treatise on Government to refute the patriarchial and absolutist writings of Sir Robert Filmer. Locke clearly believes man is imbued with the natural right to life, liberty, and property. He believes men have a right to live free from tyrannical government.

Locke shows how when a government degenerates into tyranny the "people" have a right to revolt and throw off such government. Sound familar? Jefferson wrote these words into the Declaration of Independence. Locke believes that liberty is a man's right by his very nature of being human. He points out how that men come together to form a government, based upon a social contract, and that the rulers or government must abide by that contract or man returns to his natural state. In the natural state men are not bound to the current ruler but may institute new government for their security and protection.

Although he believed that government should not be changed lightly or on a whim, and believed that the ruler must violate the contract and usurp power, he nevertheless pointed out that government is of men, not God or gods. He repudiated the doctrine propagated by Filmer, that rulers are appointed to rule by God, ie: the Divine Right of Kings.

This "wee little book" as Jefferson put it, has had a tremendous influence on the Western world. Locke, a child of the English Enlightenment has caused conservatives and other tyrants, socialists and communists to shudder at the right to throw off tyrannical government. A truly great read.

John Locke's classic in handy format +plus bonus essay
In his book, Second Treatise of Government, John Locke (1632 - 1704) writes that all humans are born equal with the same ability to reason for themselves, and because of this, government should have limitations to ensure that people are free from the arbitrary will of another person, according to the laws of nature. Government, in Locke's view, is a social contract between the people in control, and the people who submit to it.

The editor of this edition, C. B. Macpherson, gives a little background and overview in his introduction to this book. He writes that the book "was directed against the principles of Sir Robert Filmer, whose books, asserting the divine authority of kings and denying any right of resistance, were thought by Locke and his fellow Whigs to be too influential among the gentry to be left unchallenged by those who held that resistance to an arbitrary monarch might be justified." (p. viii)
Locke's book served as a philosophical justification for revolting against tyrannical monarchies in the Glorious Revolution and the American Revolution. His book was practically quoted in the Declaration of Independence.

Locke lays out his basis for government on the foundation that people are able to reason. Because of this, people have inherent freedoms or natural rights. Though he believed in reason, Locke was an empiricist, meaning he believed that all knowledge of the world comes from what our senses tell us. The mind starts as a "tabula rasa", latin for an empty slate. As soon as we are born, we immediately begin learning ideas. Thus, all the material for our knowledge of the world comes to us through sensations. Nevertheless, Locke had an unshakable faith in human reason. He believed that people do learn what is right and wrong, regardless of what they choose to do. Locke believed that faith in God, certain moral norms and understanding consequences were inherent in human reason. So, even though people acquire everything they know about the world through the senses, they are able to think for themselves and reason at a higher level about what they learn.

Locke presumed that there are universally recognized principles and that the consequences are practically scientific. He was greatly influenced by Isaac Newton (1647-1727) who wrote The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Locke took the ideas that there were "natural laws" in science and tried to extend that to society.

Natural laws, or rights, in Locke's view, are obvious and learned through human reasoning, and apply to everyone.They are also called "self-evident," which appears in The Declaration of Independence. All humans are created equal, and Locke bases this idea on the golden rule, that people are to do to others as they would have others do to them.Natural equality is the basis of the first and most important "natural law" which is to care for one another. (p. 9) Locke believes that with or without government, there were universal natural rights.

Without government, people are unprotected from harm by other people. Where there is no government, people are free to do as they please, even to harm others. In this state, natural laws still apply, such as the right of people to protect themselves and seek reparation for injuries done to them. However, people are naturally inconsistent in executing punishments, because they have a propensity to act out of hate or revenge. Therefore, laws are necessary in a civil society to fairly arbitrate justice. The purpose of creating a civil society is to avoid major conflicts and keep peace.
Thus, civil government is a "contract" between people to regulate their affairs fairly. According to Locke's theories, people enter into a social contract by forming governments that will preserve order.

Locke describes a civil government as being democratic with some checks to ensure that it does not overstep its boundaries, and having both legislative and executive powers. A civil government is democratic or representative, meaning laws are created by the consent of the people through the voice of a majority vote. The legislature should represent the people equally based on population. (Salus populi suprema lex) All people are subject to the law, including the rulers-no one is above the law. Even the legislature needs "standing rules" to keep it from over-stepping its boundaries. Locke advocated the principle of division of powers. Because the legislature only meets at appointed times to create or revise laws, there needs to be an executive power that is constantly enforcing the laws.So Locke describes a division of the legislative and executive powers.

In contrast to what was being claimed by the rulers of the time, Locke taught that the purpose of government is to serve and benefit the people and that it should be controlled by the people for which the government was made. His claim that people have the right to rebel against government was controversial.Second Treatise of Government served as a foundation for future political philosophies.

American Revolution would have been impossible without it!
It is difficult to write a review of the Second Treatise of Government in that it is a book whose central ideas so permeate both British and American thought that no review can do it justice.

Any student of American history, particularly of the revolution and the formation of the Constitution, out of necessity should read this book.It is a book that the revolutionaries themselves were well acquainted with, and formed the rational basis for justifying both the Revolution and the establishment of the Constitution.

Locke is, also, suprisingly easy to read, even today.Cogent, well-formed arguments inform every page of this masterwork.This is a fascinating book that shaped history itself. ... Read more

Book Description
A Letter Concerning Toleration is an important work written by John Locke and originally published in latin in the late 17th century. John Locke argues in this writing for there to be a new udnerstanding between the relationships of religion and government. Providing a contrary view to that of Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan, Locke was a founder of Empiricism and denounced it for its support of toleration of the various Christian denominations. This is a key publication for those studying government or the writings of John Locke and the debates among early political writers, which are still largely relevant today.Download Description
For whatsoever some people boast of the antiquity of places and names, or of the pomp of their outward worship; others, of the reformation of their discipline; all, of the orthodoxy of their faith -- for everyone is orthodox to himself -- these things, and all others of this nature, are much rather marks of men striving for power and empire over one another than of the Church of Christ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An Excellent Guide for our times.
An excellent book concerning religious toleration, civil society and Christian faith. Very pertinent to the 21st Century and the War on Terrorism, although Locke's standards need updating regarding religions and organized beliefs that must not be tolerated in civil societies.

Locke's works pass the test of time and must be read by students of government and political theory today.

Letter on Toleration
This should be given to every person walking into a church, synagogue, mosque, ect.This essayis a must read, especially in todays world with people coming into contact with different types of people daily!

Timeless Philosophy that pre-dated the great Revolutions.
The previous reviews leave little that needs to be added, especially from marquisburano.This is a great afternoon read that serves as a peek into the influence of our Founding Fathers as well as a glimse of the early ideas that led to the Revolutions.

There is only one thought to add that may be splitting hairs, but holds theoretical ramifications when one considers it.Locke describes in this book 'separation of state from the church'.Yes, he supposes individual freedom of expression of faith, but he views the institutions of faith as entities that can be proactive within the state.The split hair is that in a 'separation of church and state' (which actually is not stated in the Constitution) scenario, we arive at a benign faith community that exists exclusive (in theory) of the state.The first is a restriction only on the state to act on the church, the latter creates a duality for those of faith.

The author does not necessarily imply an opinion for either interpretation.The point made is that this book must be read with the eyes of the history in which it was written.Knowing the history is a great start, but you must also examine it hermaneutically to understand that Locke was arguing against England intermingling (understatement) with the Chruch, as many other authors since Henry VIII have done.

Read Locke, he is one of the masters of his time and our lives are affected by it daily.

An excellent, concise, and well-written work
Locke's _A Letter Concerning Toleration_ is key for many reasons, not least of which is its startling relevance to contemporary society. Locke sees tolerance as fundamentally a "live and let live" situation, a state which must be acheived to avoid the endless relativity of a regime fueled by religion; as each man is orthodox to himself and heretical to others, he argues, religious tolerance *must* be a basic societal tenet for the state to function. Excellently argued and written, Locke's _A Letter Concerning Toleration_ is an "inevitable read" for most students that should be welcomed with open arms and minds.

A CLASSIC AGAINST INTOLERANCE
This work by Locke, in spite of its brevity, is a required piece of reading in order to put in perspective the other endeavors of the author.
The issues discussed in this Essay were at the base of the formation of political theory in the Western world, during the centuries of enlightenment. Locke's effort in the case of this Letter (of the 4 he wrote, this is the first one, published in 1689 in English, from a text published some months previously in Holland) was the rescue of religious tolerance vis a vis political powers and structures, and the recognition of the need for a sphere ofprivate religious freedom, legallyguaranteed and exempt fromthe interference of political power.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: When Locke wrote this Letter, there was still controversy regarding the definition of the concepts of liberty of conscience and religious freedom. In fact, the first step of the ladder is represented by the idea of religious tolerance. The starting point of analysis, at the time, came from the observation of the fact that certain degree of intolerance has always existed (religious, political, racial) in the human nature. If one analyzes the origin of religious intolerance in the western world, it stems necessarily from the fact that every Church or denomination, claims with more or less clarity to be the sole bearer of the truth. In this context, what could be the meaning of "tolerance" as a concession or pretense ? To recognize to the dissidents and minorities the possibility to coexist peacefully in a certain society, without having to renounce the external manifestations of their beliefs. But the need for religious tolerance can onlymake sense in a society where a dominant religious majority has the power to impose onto others its dogmas, either directly (a theocratic government) or through secular political power(the papist states).
On the other hand, the concept of religious freedom implies the recognition for the individual of the natural right to freely profess and express his beliefs, without the intervention or interference of political power or Government. Accordingly, whilst tolerance had been considered historically as a "concession" granted by the dominant religious movement or Church toother religious minorities, religious freedom appears in the Western civilization only once the political power is separated from the religious community. And here the Reform had its influence.
LOCKE'S TOLERANCE: Against this background, the problem of tolerance appears to Locke as a political problem, based on his conception of the State as a society born out of the consent of free men. In his State, it is logical to deny the political power, the possibility to interfere in private matters. Locke defends religious tolerance recurring to several arguments.
Politically, war and factionalisms are not the product of religious differences, but of human intolerance. In other words, it is not a requisite forthe State, in orderto function, to have a unified religion. From the religious standpoint, the Church is a free and voluntary assembly. No man can be forced by the magistrate to enter or remain in a specific Church or religious denomination. Only if we freely follow the mandates of our conscience, we follow the road to salvation. Thus, all political efforts to force us to adopt the "true faith" are vain and anti-religious.
Persecution, in itself,is not Christian and Locke concludes that in all matters related to the faith, violence is not an adequate or acceptable mean to gain followers.
Religious freedom, therefore, is a natural right of the individual and truth cannot be monopolized by any single religious denomination or person.
RESTRICTIONS: Does Locke really advocate absolute freedom for all men of every sect or religion when he writes: "Absolute liberty, just and true liberty,equal and impartial liberty, is the thing that we stand in need for"?
Not really. Tolerance has to be just, but practicable, in accordance to public interest. Therefore tolerance cannot condone ideas that are contrary to society or to moral rulesrequired for the preservation of society. Doesn't Rome require submission from a catholic prince to a foreign power? For Locke, there is no real distinction between Catholics and atheists, from the political standpoint.
CONCLUSION: For Locke the only limits toreligious freedom arethe need to avoid damage to other individuals andthe preservation of the existence of the State. On the other hand, such a freedom is only viable as a consequence of the secularization of politic and the separation between Church and State.I TRULY RECOMMEND THIS SEMINAL WORK. Time has not taken away certain lessons that are to be learned, if we want to live in a better world, a more tolerant one. GOOD ANTIDOTE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM. ... Read more

Book Description
The past thirty years have witnessed a renaissance in Lockean scholarship. New work and new thinking has now recast our most basic comprehension of John Locke (1623-1704) as a political theorist, and of Locke's Two Treatises of Government as a historical document. This collection of essays investigates the implications of the new scholarship for our understanding of Locke's political thought and its impact upon the liberal tradition.

John Locke's Two Treatises of Government has long been recognized as one of the great works of political philosophy. Three centuries after it was written, students and scholars continue to study it for insights into the intellectual origins of the modern world and for a better understanding of such fundamental concepts as natural rights, social contract, limited government, and the rule of law.

The seven essays in this volume explore various dimensions of Locke's Two Treatises. The introductory essay places the new scholarship in a historical context. The next four essays show how this recent literature has affected our view of particular aspects of the Two Treatises: its theory of politics, its religious underpinnings, its theory of rationality, and its conception of the relationship between politics and economics. The final two essays discuss how the new scholarship has changed our understanding of the impact of the Two Treatises upon political thought in the eighteenth and late-twentieth centuries. Included at the end of the text is an extended secondary bibliography on John Locke's Two Treaties.

These essays do not seek closure. Nor do they set forth a single "correct" interpretation. Instead they offer readers a deeper appreciation of how our view of Locke's Two Treatises has changed over the last three decades and the importance of those changes in understanding of the liberal tradition. ... Read more

Book Description
John Marshall offers an extensive study of late seventeenth-century practices of religious intolerance and toleration in England, Ireland, France, Piedmont and the Netherlands and of the arguments which John Locke and his associates made in defence of 'universal religious toleration'.He analyzes early modern and early Enlightenment discussions of toleration; debates over toleration for Jews and Muslims as well as for Christians; the limits of toleration for the intolerant, atheists, 'libertines' and 'sodomites'; and the complex relationships between intolerance and resistance theories including Locke's own Treatises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

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.

Classic: Must Read
I could not believe how different this book was from what I expected it to be based on professors in politics classes describing Locke.I think they never read this book or were confusing him with someone else.This book is short and sweet, and at the same time a cornerstone for what the world has become in most developed countries.Many ideas in this book were revolutionary in his time (in fact Locke would not let it be known he was the author) but are now so commonplace as to be things observed in any developed country without explaining why.At least the economic ideas could be classified as such; but the ideas of the people overthrowing a tyrant due to horrible ruling is equally revolutionary in monarchies and dictatorships today, and even in poorly governed "democracies" today.A must read.

Significant but sometimes difficult to follow
The importance of this book, first published in 1690, cannot be denied. The book's most famous and controversial idea is that the people have a right to overthrow their government if the government fails consistently in its responsibilities and duties.

The book, which lacks an introduction or conclusion, may be challenging for modern readers. Locke's writing covers a wide range of topics; conquest, paternal power (i.e. the power that fathers have over their children), despotical power and his over-arching central concern, property.

The main ideas of the book are that government exists by the consent of the governed who found government for the purpose of securing their lives, rights and property. Locke frequently contrasts people who live in a state of nature (i.e. no government; people enjoy considerable personal freedom) and those that live under government. Under Locke's view of the social contract, men give up give up the unlimited freedom they enjoyed in the state of nature so as to secure their life, limb and property more securely under government. There is also some discussion of the idea of separation of powers; what is interesting here is that Locke does not use the traditional formulation (i.e. executive, legislative, and judicial), rather he discusses executive, legislative and "federative" (by which he means the conduct of self-defense and foreign policy) powers.

The type of government that Locke describes more closely resembles the system employed by Britain and Canada, more than the United States. He conceives of a monarch or prince at the top of the government (as in Britain and Canada; the Monarch is the Head of State), with the legislature representing the people (Parliament) and so on. This is not to deny that this book still holds value for Americans, as other reviewers have pointed out.

All that said, I would not recommend this particular edition of the book. The lack of introduction to put Locke in his historical context can make the book difficult to understand and some of Locke's 17th century references will simply be skipped over by most readers. However, if you simply want a copy of the book that is plain and plan to quote from it, this edition is quite useful. Each paragraph of the book is numbered allowing a researcher to precisely footnote information. ... Read more

Book Description
A reprint of the Penguin/Mentor edition of 1993.

John Locke's Second Treatise of Government (c. 1681) is perhaps the key founding liberal text. A Letter Concerning Toleration, written in 1685 (a year when a Catholic monarch came to the throne of England and Louis XVI unleashed a reign of terror against Protestants in France), is a classic defense of religious freedom. Yet many of Locke's other writings—not least the Constitutions of Carolina, which he helped draft—are almost defiantly anti-liberal in outlook.

This comprehensive collection brings together the main published works (excluding polemical attacks on other people's views) with the most important surviving evidence from among Locke's papers relating to his political philosophy. David Wootton's wide-ranging and scholarly Introduction sets the writings in the context of their time, examines Locke's developing ideas and unorthodox Christianity, and analyzes his main arguments. The result is the first fully rounded picture of Locke's political thought in his own words. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The basis of civil government
This compilation of Locke's political writings not only contains his famed second treatise, but also suplementary essays supporting his views and espousing other particulars.The book is a must for any one interested in political philosophy in the least simply because most of the ideas espoused were incorparated into the foundation of our country.The essays set up locke's basic democratic theories and his version of social contract society.the reading is mildly technical and archaic, but not too bad. an excellent start to any one interested in philosophy ... Read more

Book Description
Sec. 40. Nor is it so strange, as perhaps before consideration it may appear, that the property of labour should be able to over-balance the community of land: for it is labour indeed that puts the difference of value on every thing; and let any one consider what the difference is between an acre of land planted with tobacco or sugar, sown with wheat or barley, and an acre of the same land lying in common, without any husbandry upon it, and he will find, that the improvement of labour makes the far greater part of the value.Download Description
Sec. 40. Nor is it so strange, as perhaps before consideration it may appear, that the property of labour should be able to over-balance the community of land: for it is labour indeed that puts the difference of value on every thing; and let any one consider what the difference is between an acre of land planted with tobacco or sugar, sown with wheat or barley, and an acre of the same land lying in common, without any husbandry upon it, and he will find, that the improvement of labour makes the far greater part of the value. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Not to be trusted
This guy is a hallucinator.He's had bouts of rage and depression.He head butts people.He thinks the island talks to him.He blows up submarines.Beware of this guy and his crazy woo woo beliefs!

The Second Treatise and the American Founding
John Locke's major work of political philosophy is often referred to as a major source for the Declaration of Independence, The Second Treatise of Civil Government.This work, authored in 1690, is a major statement of liberalism.Like Thomas Hobbes, Locke begins with humans living in a state of nature, a situation before the development of the state and government.The Lockeian state of nature was not an unpleasant place.Human reason led people to tend to leave one another alone in their respective pursuits.

Natural law guides people's actions in the state of nature and their reason allows them to apprehend the essence of these laws.Thus, Locke expressed great confidence in human reason.However, inconveniences did result in the state of nature.If disagreements rose between people, it was not always easy to resolve these.If one person stole something from another, it was up to the victim to redress the injustice.And these shortcomings in the state of nature made individuals ultimately, rationally, decide that they should give up some of their freedom in order to secure order and protection of the fruits of their labor.Locke said: "[T]he enjoyment of the property he has in his state is very unsafe, very unsecure. . . .The great and chief end, therefore, of man's uniting into commonwealths and putting themselves under government is the preservation of their property."

As a result, people contract with one another to form civil society and government in order to preserve their rights under natural law, with the dominant right being termed property.And what happens if government does not protect rights under natural law?Revolution is thereby allowable.For instance, Locke notes one justification for suspending an existing government:"Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience, and are left to the common refuge which God hath provided for all men against force and violence. . . .[I]t devolves to the people to have a right to resume their original liberty, and by the establishment of a new legislative, such as they shall think fit, provide for their own safety and security, which is the end for which they are in society."

Locke's work well illustrates basic tenets of li