writings of

John Locke

(1632-1704)


 First Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)
"...all the power of civil government relates only to men’s civil interests, is confined to the care of the things of this world, and hath nothing to do with the world to come." Something of a "transitional" work, in thought on church/state matters. Locke outlines a case for religious liberty, but declines to embrace its implications, falling back, instead, on an endorsement for a "tolerance" regime (one, in this case, which doesn't tolerate Catholics or atheists). This disconnect was apparently not missed by William Popple, the articles' English translator (Locke had originally written it in Latin), who writes, in his preface, that "Absolute liberty, just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty, is the thing that we stand in need of... I cannot therefore but hope that this discourse, which treats of that subject, however briefly, yet more exactly than any we have yet seen, demonstrating both the equitableness and practicableness of the thing, will be esteemed highly seasonable, by all men who have souls large enough to prefer the true interest of the public, before that of a party."
 

The Second Treatise On Government
(1690)

One
Chapter 1:  Of Political Power
Chapter 2:  Of the State of Nature

Two
Chapter 3:  Of the State of War
Chapter 4:  Of Slavery

Three
Chapter 5:  Of Property

Four
Chapter 6:  Of Paternal Power

Five
Chapter 7:  Of Political and Civil Society

Six
Chapter 8:  Of the Beginning of Political Societies

Seven
Chapter  9:   Of the Ends of Political Society and Government
Chapter 10:  Of the Forms of a Commonwealth
Chapter 11:  Of the Extent of the Legislative Power

Eight
Chapter 12:  The Legislative, Executive, and Federative Power of the Commonwealth
Chapter 13:  Of the Subordination of the Powers of the Commonwealth

Nine
Chapter 14:  Of Prerogative
Chapter 15:  Of Paternal, Political and Despotical Power

Ten
Chapter 16:  Of Conquest
Chapter 17:  Of Usurpation

Eleven
Chapter 18:  Of Tyranny

Twelve
Chapter 19:  Of the Dissolution of Government
 
 



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