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Second Treatise of Government by John Locke

Second Treatise of Government

John Locke1690

Philosophy
OutlineEssential Cut available

The Thesis

“POLITICAL POWER, then, I take to be a RIGHT of making laws with penalties of death, and consequently all less penalties, for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community, in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the commonwealth from foreign injury; and all this only for the public good.”

— John Locke

Contents

  1. 1PREFACE777 w
  2. 2Book II0 w
  3. 3CHAPTER. I.486 w
  4. 4CHAPTER. II.2,842 w
  5. 5CHAPTER. III.1,470 w
  6. 6CHAPTER. IV.595 w
  7. 7CHAPTER. V.5,909 w
  8. 8CHAPTER. VI.5,930 w
  9. 9CHAPTER. VII.4,421 w
  10. 10CHAPTER. VIII.6,517 w
  11. 11CHAPTER. IX.1,234 w
  12. 12CHAPTER. X.410 w
  13. 13CHAPTER. XI.3,026 w
  14. 14CHAPTER. XII.848 w
  15. 15CHAPTER. XIII.2,741 w
  16. 16CHAPTER. XIV.2,179 w
  17. 17CHAPTER. XV.1,198 w
  18. 18CHAPTER. XVI.4,775 w
  19. 19CHAPTER. XVII.357 w
  20. 20CHAPTER. XVIII.2,615 w
  21. 21CHAPTER. XIX.7,905 w

Second Treatise Of Government — John Locke · first published 1690

Source edition: Original 1690 text (Gutenberg transcription from McPherson 1980 ed.)

Public-domain text · ref #7370