Two Treatises of Government Summary

Locke’s Two Treatises of Government rejects the idea that kings possess an unlimited divine right to rule. Locke argues that all people are naturally free and equal and possess rights that exist before government. Political authority becomes legitimate only through the consent of the governed. Individuals create government to protect their lives, liberties and property more effectively than they could in the state of nature. Government therefore receives limited and conditional powers rather than absolute authority. When rulers violate natural rights, ignore established law or attempt to reduce citizens to slavery, they break the political trust placed in them. The people then possess a right to resist and replace the government. Locke’s work strongly influenced later constitutionalism, liberal democracy, representative government and declarations of fundamental rights.

• Natural freedom and equality: No person is naturally born with a political right to command everyone else.

• Natural rights exist before government: Government does not create basic rights; it is established to recognise and protect them.

• The state of nature has moral rules: Unlike Hobbes, Locke believes that natural law already requires people to respect one another’s rights.

• The problem of enforcement: In the state of nature, individuals may act as judges in their own cases, producing bias and uncertainty.

• Government is created by consent: Legitimate political authority must be based upon the agreement of the people.

• Majority decision-making: Once individuals form a political community, practical decisions usually have to be made by the majority.

• Property comes from labour: When a person mixes his labour with natural resources, he may gain a legitimate claim over the result.

• Government is a trust: Public officials hold power for public purposes and cannot use it as personal property.

• Right of resistance: When government systematically attacks rights and destroys lawful institutions, citizens may replace it.

• Famous quotation: Locke identifies property as a person’s “life, liberty and estate.”