Second Treatise of the Government
A cornerstone of liberal democracy and natural rights theory.
Summary of 6 Key Points
Key Points
- State of Nature and Natural Law
- Property Rights and Labor
- The Formation of Societies
- The Role of Government
- Dissolution of Government
- Tyranny and the Right to Rebellion
key point 1 of 6
State of Nature and Natural Law
In the ‘Second Treatise of Government’, the concept of the state of nature is a central philosophical device used to explain the origin of government and human society. According to the author, in the state of nature, all men are created equal and are free to pursue their own lives, liberties, and estates. This is a pre-political condition where no person has political power over another, and everyone is entitled to exercise natural rights. The state of nature is governed by natural law, which is based on reason and seeks the preservation of mankind. It is a moral foundation that dictates that individuals should not harm others with regards to their life, health, liberty, or possessions…Read&Listen More
key point 2 of 6
Property Rights and Labor
John Locke, in his work, presents a natural rights perspective on property and labor, arguing that individuals have rights to their own person and the labor of their body. He believes that by mixing one’s labor with the natural world, an individual can claim ownership over the resulting product. This act of labor on a resource that is held in common with others establishes a person’s entitlement to the property. Locke posits that as long as there is enough, and as good, left in common for others, the individual can appropriate resources through labor without the consent of others…Read&Listen More
key point 3 of 6
The Formation of Societies
The formation of societies, according to John Locke in the ‘Second Treatise of Government,’ begins with the state of nature, a pre-societal condition where individuals are free and equal, but bound by the law of nature. This law, which is based on reason, dictates that no one should harm another in their life, health, liberty, or possessions. Individuals in this state have the right to enforce the law of nature and to punish transgressors, but this can lead to partiality and a state of war…Read&Listen More
key point 4 of 6
The Role of Government
In the ‘Second Treatise of Government,’ John Locke presents a view of the role of government as fundamentally one of serving the people by protecting their natural rights, which he identifies as life, liberty, and property. Government arises from the consent of the governed and is a social contract where individuals agree to form a society and establish a government to enforce laws that protect these rights. It is a deliberate and voluntary collective agreement that aims to avoid the state of nature, where there is no established authority to resolve conflicts or protect rights effectively…Read&Listen More
key point 5 of 6
Dissolution of Government
John Locke, in his ‘Second Treatise of Government’, speaks about the dissolution of government not as a mere theoretical construct but as a pragmatic consequence of a government’s failure to function in the interest of its constituents. According to Locke, the dissolution of government occurs when the legislative, or the laws set forth by the society, are altered without the consent of the society. This alteration could manifest through the government’s attempt to rule through arbitrary decrees, by usurping the power to legislate, or by failing to adhere to the laws that have been agreed upon…Read&Listen More
key point 6 of 6
Tyranny and the Right to Rebellion
John Locke discusses tyranny and the right to rebellion as the failure of the government to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people. Tyranny is described as the exercise of power beyond right, which nobody can have a right to. He elaborates that when a ruler makes laws without the consent of the people and enforces them through the threat of force, or when the ruler seeks to preserve his own interests over the public good, he is in a state of war with his subjects. This is a fundamental betrayal of the trust placed in governance…Read&Listen More