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. Locke's book served as a philosophical justification for revolting against tyrannical monarchies ...
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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. 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.
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AnnaJeffersonMurphy
Jan 7, 2010
Locke by himself
As a scholar I appreciate to read from the classics whenever it is possible. Locke is no exception, his writing to this day is clear, straightforward and believe me some politicians would be better informed to read Locke from this old edition. Reading extracts of his work for university texts takes away the connection with his whole thought, so avoid doing that. On the other hand, old editions have the beauty of not taking liberty with classical texts putting words or re-creating sentences just for commercial purposes. That is the main reason why I do not reach for my pocket to pay for new translations or writers' commentaries of great classics if I can read the author himself/herself. Highly recommended.
arroc
Feb 19, 2009
A classic text... in a solid edition.
The format is clean and readable. The editor's preface is informative and brief. The volume itself is very slim, with a glossy cover. For a short work like this in the public domain... I think a cheap volume is a necessity. It would make a good note-taking copy, although the left-right margins are too small for that. There is plenty of room at the top and bottom of the page for writing.
As for the text... it really needs no introduction. One of the world's greatest works on Political Theory. If you have not read this, you should.
