SECOND TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT
by JOHN LOCKE
Digitized by Dave Gowan. John Locke’s “Second Treatise ofGovernment” was published in 1690. The complete unabridged text has beenrepublished several times in edited commentaries. This text is recovered entirefrom the paperback book, “John Locke Second Treatise ofGovernment”, Edited, with an Introduction, By C.B. McPherson, HackettPublishing Company, Indianapolis and Cambridge, 1980. None of the McPhersonedition is included in the Etext below; only the original words contained inthe 1690 Locke text is included. The 1690 edition text is free of copyright.
TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT
BY IOHN LOCKE
SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX ESTO
LONDON PRINTED MDCLXXXVIII
REPRINTED, THE SIXTH TIME, BY A. MILLAR, H. WOODFALL, 1. WHISTON AND B.WHITE, 1. RIVINGTON, L. DAVIS AND C. REYMERS, R. BALDWIN, HAWES CLARKEAND 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
MDCCLXIII
TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT. IN THE FORMER THE FALSE PRINCIPLES ANDFOUNDATION OF SIR ROBERT FILMER AND HIS FOLLOWERS ARE DETECTED ANDOVERTHROWN. THE LATTER IS AN ESSAY CONCERNING THE TRUE ORIGINAL EXTENTAND END OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
1764 EDITOR’S NOTE The present Edition of this Book has not only beencollated with the first three Editions, which were published during theAuthor’s Life, but also has the Advantage of his last Corrections andImprovements, from a Copy delivered by him to Mr. Peter Coste,communicated to the Editor, and now lodged in Christ College, Cambridge.
Contents
PREFACE
Reader, thou hast here the beginning and end of a discourse concerninggovernment; what fate has otherwise disposed of the papers that should havefilled up the middle, and were more than all the rest, it is not worth while totell thee. These, which remain, I hope are sufficient to establish the throneof our great restorer, our present King William; to make good his title, in theconsent of the people, which being the only one of all lawful governments,