In 1689, English philosopher John Locke – one of the most influential and brilliant writers of the Enlightenment period – published his book ‘Two Treatises of Government’ anonymously.
In the first volume, Locke attacks the patriarchy, in particular the so-called ‘absolute power’ of the monarchy. (It appears to have been a direct refutation of Robert Filmer’s book ‘Patriarcha’ and Thomas Hobbes’ ‘Leviathan, ‘ both of which argued for the unquestioned power of kings.)
In the Second Treatise – presented here – Locke argues for a system of government based on the concepts of natural rights and contract theory, which places power in the hands of the governed and proposed a Parliamentary system that protects – rather than limits – the rights of the individual. While he did not go so far as to demand that England become a republic (thus removing the sovereign king entirely), he did propose a form of representational government where the people had a say in choosing their own rulers and could limit the power of the monarch.
A brilliant, controversial and, at times, contradictory piece (Locke appears to argue both for and against slavery, for example), ‘Second Treatise of Government’ is now considered one of the most important and insightful pieces of political philosophy ever written.
It is presented here in its original and unabridged format, with annotations.
About the author
John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher and physician who became one of the most important voices of the Enlightenment period and is known as the ‘father of liberalism.’ Among the first of the ’empiricists, ‘ Locke was a great believer in drawing knowledge from facts and evidence rather than faith and belief. His political philosophy argued for a representational government wherein the power of the monarchy can be checked and the people had a say in the affairs of state. His writings inspired Voltaire and Rousseau – among many others – and his ideas helped the American revolutionaries craft the United States’ founding documents.
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