Two Treatises of Government
Locke's foundational work on natural rights and consent of the governed.
Two Treatises of Government is English philosopher John Locke's principal work of political philosophy. The work is divided into a First Treatise, which refutes Sir Robert Filmer's defense of divine right monarchy, and a Second Treatise, which outlines a theory of civil society based on natural rights, contract theory, and the consent of the governed.
- full_title
- Two Treatises of Government: In the Former, The False Principles, and Foundation of Sir Robert Filmer, and His Followers, Are Detected and Overthrown. The Latter Is an Essay Concerning The True Origin
- author
- John Locke
- field
- Political philosophy
- known_for
- Foundational text of liberalism; natural rights; consent of the governed; right to revolution
Lore & Background
The First Treatise attacks patriarchalism through a sentence-by-sentence refutation of the late Robert Filmer's Patriarcha, which argued for a divinely ordained, hereditary, absolute monarchy. The Second Treatise outlines Locke's ideas for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory, with government requiring the consent of the governed and, under limited circumstances, the right to overthrow the ruler.
Reader's Guide
Two Treatises of Government is a key foundational text in the theory of liberalism. The Second Treatise was, in its time and place, a revolutionary work. Locke claimed in the preface that its purpose was to justify William III's ascension, but it is more likely the revolution presented an opportunity to publish the existing manuscript.
Did You Know?
- Locke never formally acknowledged authorship of Two Treatises until just before his death.
- More than half of Locke's original draft, occupying a space between the First and Second Treatises, has been irretrievably lost.
- The first edition was replete with errors; Locke held the printers to a higher standard of perfection than the technology of the time would permit.
- The First Treatise breaks off in mid-sentence.
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