Second Treatise of Government by John Locke. In the Second Treatise Locke develops a number of notable themes. It begins with a depiction of the state of nature, wherein individuals are under no obligation to obey one another but are each themselves judge of what the law of nature requires. It also covers conquest and slavery, property, representative government, and the right of revolution. Locke defines the state of nature thus: To properly understand political power and trace its origins, we must consider the state that ...
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Second Treatise of Government by John Locke. In the Second Treatise Locke develops a number of notable themes. It begins with a depiction of the state of nature, wherein individuals are under no obligation to obey one another but are each themselves judge of what the law of nature requires. It also covers conquest and slavery, property, representative government, and the right of revolution. Locke defines the state of nature thus: To properly understand political power and trace its origins, we must consider the state that all people are in naturally. That is a state of perfect freedom of acting and disposing of their own possessions and persons as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature. People in this state do not have to ask permission to act or depend on the will of others to arrange matters on their behalf. The natural state is also one of equality in which all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal and no one has more than another. It is evident that all human beings-as creatures belonging to the same species and rank and born indiscriminately with all the same natural advantages and faculties-are equal amongst themselves. They have no relationship of subordination or subjection unless God (the lord and master of them all) had clearly set one person above another and conferred on him an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty. Reader, thou hast here the beginning and end of a discourse concerning government; what fate has otherwise disposed of the papers that should have filled up the middle, and were more than all the rest, it is not worth while to tell thee. These, which remain, I hope are sufficient to establish the throne of our great restorer, our present King William; to make good his title, in the consent of the people, which being the only one of all lawful governments, he has more fully and clearly, than any prince in Christendom; and to justify to the world the people of England, whose love of their just and natural rights, with their resolution to preserve them, saved the nation when it was on the very brink of slavery and ruin. If these papers have that evidence, I flatter myself is to be found in them, there will be no great miss of those which are lost, and my reader may be satisfied without them: for I imagine, I shall have neither the time, nor inclination to repeat my pains, and fill up the wanting part of my answer, by tracing Sir Robert again, through all the windings and obscurities, which are to be met with in the several branches of his wonderful system.
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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.
