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Second Treatise of Government

by John Locke (1632–1704)

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  • 4 hours to read
  • 22 chapters
  • Reading level: College-level

"Second Treatise of Government" by John Locke is a political philosophy work published in 1689. Writing anonymously during England's turbulent revolution, Locke outlines a radical vision of society founded on natural rights and government by consent rather than divine authority. His ideas challenge the established order, arguing that legitimate power flows from the people, not kings claiming God-given rule. This foundational text of liberal political theory emerged from dangerous conspiracies and exile, so controversial that Locke never acknowledged authorship during his lifetime.

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  • Political science · Early works to 1800
  • Toleration · Early works to 1800
  • Liberty · Early works to 1800

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Second Treatise of Government

Digitized by Dave Gowan. John Locke’s “Second Treatise of Government” was published in 1690. The complete unabridged text has been republished several times in edited commentaries. This text is recovered entire from the paperback book, “John Locke Second Treatise of Government”, Edited, with an Introduction, By C.B. McPherson, Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis and Cambridge, 1980. None of the McPherson edition is included in the Etext below; only the original words contained in the 1690 Locke text is included. The 1690 edition text is free of copyright.

REPRINTED, THE SIXTH TIME, BY A. MILLAR, H. WOODFALL, 1. WHISTON AND B. WHITE, 1. RIVINGTON, L. DAVIS AND C. REYMERS, R. BALDWIN, HAWES CLARKE AND COLLINS; W. IOHNSTON, W. OWEN, 1. RICHARDSON, S. CROWDER, T. LONGMAN, B. LAW, C. RIVINGTON, E. DILLY, R. WITHY, C. AND R. WARE, S. BAKER, T. PAYNE, A. SHUCKBURGH, 1. HINXMAN

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Contents

  1. Second Treatise of Government
  2. MDCCLXIII
  3. Preface
  4. Book II
  5. Chapter. I
  6. Of the State of Nature
  7. Of the State of War
  8. Of Slavery
  9. Of Property
  10. Of Paternal Power
  11. Of Political or Civil Society
  12. Of the Beginning of Political Societies
  13. Of the Ends of Political Society and Government
  14. Of the Forms of a Common-Wealth
  15. Of the Extent of the Legislative Power
  16. Chapter. XII
  17. Of the Subordination of the Powers of the Common-Wealth
  18. Of Prerogative
  19. Chapter. XV
  20. Of Conquest
  21. Of Usurpation
  22. Of Tyranny
  23. Of the Dissolution of Government

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About this edition

This free edition of Second Treatise of Government by John Locke comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #7370, released 2005-01-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750), Philosophy & Ethics, Politics.

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