--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Second Treatise of Government by John…" description: "\"“Second Treatise of Government by John Locke.”\" — Charles River Editors" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg" --- # Second Treatise of Government by John Locke. ![“Second Treatise of Government by John Locke.” quote by Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg) > ““Second Treatise of Government by John Locke.”” [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. John Locke’s political philosophy on natural rights and government authority. **In simple terms:** Locke discusses rights and government. Key Takeaway Study natural rights concepts. Themes political philosophy rights government Mood educational formal Type philosophical academic When to use this quote - civics education - legal studies - political debates Key Concepts social contract liberalism property rights Questions to Reflect On - What are natural rights? - How do they limit government? A Different Perspective Interpretations vary across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-john-2670651/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-locke/) [Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locke/) [Second Treatise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-treatise-2670649/) [Treatise Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treatise-government-2670650/) ## Related quotes > [“Human nature with all its infirmities and deprivation is still capable of great things. It is capable of attaining to degrees of wisdom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/human-nature-with-all-its-infirmities-and-deprivation-is-still/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [John Locke invented common sense, and only Englishmen have had it ever since!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/john-locke-invented-common-sense-and-only-englishmen-have-had-it-ever/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Classical theorists (foremost John Locke, a British philosopher greatly admired by the founders) captured the predicament in the idea of a preconstitutional “state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-greve/classical-theorists-foremost-john-locke-a-british-philosopher-greatly/) [Michael S. Greve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-greve/) > [“Whenever the legislators endeavour to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-n-rothbard/whenever-the-legislators-endeavour-to-take-away-and-destroy-the/) [Murray N. Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-n-rothbard/) > [“I want you to know...that you can trust me." John locked eyes with her and was instantly transported to a different plane of existence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/i-want-you-to-know-that-you-can-trust-me-john-locked-eyes-with-her/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [What higher property do you have than your own person? I totally agree, by the way, with John Locke's idea that one's body is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/what-higher-property-do-you-have-than-your-own-person-i-totally-agree/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [Virtue is the habit of acting according to wisdom. GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ, "Felicity", Leibniz: Political Writings Virtue is harder to be got than knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/virtue-is-the-habit-of-acting-according-to-wisdom-gottfried-wilhelm/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [ “No one can tell you for certain if we have free will or we don't. \[...\] Whatever you choose to believe, you will probably… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-ironmonger/no-one-can-tell-you-for-certain-if-we-have-free-will-or-we-don-t/) [J.W. Ironmonger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-ironmonger/) > [Conscious mind is a spatial analog of the world and mental acts are analogs of bodily acts. Consciousness operates only on objectively observable things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-jaynes/conscious-mind-is-a-spatial-analog-of-the-world-and-mental-acts-are/) [Julian Jaynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-jaynes/) > [ Prior to and during \[John\] Locke's time, it was difficult to determine where religion or church left off and government or state began. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-meadows/prior-to-and-during-john-locke-s-time-it-was-difficult-to-determine/) [Jayne Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-meadows/) > [“John Locke says that whatever other tasks a government undertakes—whether humanitarian or otherwise—its primary duty is to protect its own citizens from foreign and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/john-locke-says-that-whatever-other-tasks-a-government-undertakes/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [ \[John\] Adams identified himself with the political theories of \[James\] Harrington, \[John\] Locke, and \[Charles-Louis\] Montesquieu, whose ideas of constitutionalism, he believed, were applicable… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/john-adams-identified-himself-with-the-political-theories-of-james/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) > [The theory of social contracts extends as far back as Plato. However, it was the great 18th century social philosophers John Locke, Thomas Hobbes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/the-theory-of-social-contracts-extends-as-far-back-as-plato-however/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [“The “pursuit of happiness” is such a key element of the “American (ideological) dream” that one tends to forget the contingent origin of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-pursuit-of-happiness-is-such-a-key-element-of-the-american/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [“Liberalism is a creation of the seventeenth century, fathered by British philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). For Locke, liberalism means limited government, the rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/liberalism-is-a-creation-of-the-seventeenth-century-fathered-by/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) ## More by Charles River Editors > [“Iwo Jima is more officially known as “Sulfur Island,” and it lies in a chain of volcanic islands south of the Ogasawara Islands. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/iwo-jima-is-more-officially-known-as-sulfur-island-and-it-lies-in-a/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Rachel’s tomb is located a short distance north of Bethlehem, on the road between Jerusalem and Hebron. It consists of a small building with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/rachel-s-tomb-is-located-a-short-distance-north-of-bethlehem-on-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Washington is the only President to be elected unanimously – not once, but twice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/washington-is-the-only-president-to-be-elected-unanimously-not-once/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“As the story goes, the cardinals began to regret their decision the very night of Pope Urban VI's coronation. During the celebratory feast that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/as-the-story-goes-the-cardinals-began-to-regret-their-decision-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“When Lee heard of Jackson’s injuries, he sent his religious leader Chaplain Lacy to Stonewall with the message, “Give him my affectionate regards, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/when-lee-heard-of-jackson-s-injuries-he-sent-his-religious-leader/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“For the first time, the Ottoman Empire was forced to recognize the full independence of a nation, not because of a war with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/for-the-first-time-the-ottoman-empire-was-forced-to-recognize-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Midway was merely a convenient target chosen by Yamamoto to draw the Americans out, and both sides’ objectives were attritional attempts to degrade their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/midway-was-merely-a-convenient-target-chosen-by-yamamoto-to-draw-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Paris had heard of Helen of Sparta’s beauty, and though she was married to the warlike Menelaus, he immediately consented to awarding Aphrodite the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/paris-had-heard-of-helen-of-sparta-s-beauty-and-though-she-was/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Although cargo shipments of precious metals as described here seem quite fanciful to modern ears, archaeologists recently excavated a shipwreck at Uluburun with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/although-cargo-shipments-of-precious-metals-as-described-here-seem/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“The British government in 1807 had issued the “Orders in Council,” which enforced a naval blockade against France, and with a shortage of seamen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-british-government-in-1807-had-issued-the-orders-in-council-which/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Fearing for his life, Urban stayed put. He publicly blasted the French cardinals and attempted to revoke their titles, breaking records by appointing 26…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/fearing-for-his-life-urban-stayed-put-he-publicly-blasted-the-french/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Humiliated, Boniface issued the papal bull, “Clerics Laicos,” in response. The bull declared that kings who taxed clergy without papal permission would be promptly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/humiliated-boniface-issued-the-papal-bull-clerics-laicos-in-response/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“In 1940, Heinrich Himmler, wanting to extend SS influence to the rocket program, pressured Wernher von Braun into joining the organization despite his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/in-1940-heinrich-himmler-wanting-to-extend-ss-influence-to-the-rocket/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“The Wildcats tore into the Vals as they climbed prior to making their dives, and 11 of the 18 attacking dive bombers were shot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-wildcats-tore-into-the-vals-as-they-climbed-prior-to-making-their/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) [Explore all 278 Charles River Editors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) ## More Locke quotes > [“Locke said, as have others, that natural law is forever and enduring, and man-made law, which may vary from place to place and time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/locke-said-as-have-others-that-natural-law-is-forever-and-enduring/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Ha! Yes. When anyone tells you habits die hard, Locke, they’re lying—it seems they never die at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/ha-yes-when-anyone-tells-you-habits-die-hard-locke-they-re-lying-it/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [“Ibelius," said Jean. "If what Locke is doing were lurking about, corpses could be acrobats.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/ibelius-said-jean-if-what-locke-is-doing-were-lurking-about-corpses/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [“The merit of Locke 's 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding' is its adequacy, and not its consistency. . . He should have widened the title…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-merit-of-locke-s-essay-concerning-human-understanding-is-its/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [“To show you what you would not otherwise believe,' Locke said. 'Envy. Fear. Anger. Jealousy. They're all spices.' He laughed at my expression. 'What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/to-show-you-what-you-would-not-otherwise-believe-locke-said-envy-fear/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“Slaves.” As one of his loudest critics exclaimed in 1776, “Such was the language of the humane Mr. Locke!” Nor was this surprising. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-isenberg/slaves-as-one-of-his-loudest-critics-exclaimed-in-1776-such-was-the/) [Nancy Isenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-isenberg/) > [“But time’s a river, Locke, and we’ve always drifted farther down it than we think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/but-time-s-a-river-locke-and-we-ve-always-drifted-farther-down-it/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [“I pictured Locke's heart shot through with an arrow and then shook my head to get rid of the image. It wasn't like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-pictured-locke-s-heart-shot-through-with-an-arrow-and-then-shook-my/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a girl named Taryn and she had a faerie lover who came to her at night. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-girl-named-taryn-and-she-had-a-faerie/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“Locke sighed. 'So this is winning,' he said. 'It is,' replied Jean. 'It can go fuck itself,' said Locke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/locke-sighed-so-this-is-winning-he-said-it-is-replied-jean-it-can-go/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [Locke contended that government originates out of the necessity for protecting property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/locke-contended-that-government-originates-out-of-the-necessity-for/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [Locke, whom there is no reason to suspect of being a favorer of idleness or libertinism, has advanced that whoever hopes to employ any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/locke-whom-there-is-no-reason-to-suspect-of-being-a-favorer-of/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“We go now," said Locke, "or I leave you here to die. Understanding is a luxury; you don't get to have it. Sorry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/we-go-now-said-locke-or-i-leave-you-here-to-die-understanding-is-a/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [“The more narrow-minded a system is the more it will please worldly-wise people. Thus the system of the materialists, the doctrine of Helvetius and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/the-more-narrow-minded-a-system-is-the-more-it-will-please-worldly/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [“Aren't you ever careless?' he asked. 'Always, with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/aren-t-you-ever-careless-he-asked-always-with-you/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) [Browse all 79 Locke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locke/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Second Treatise of Government by John Locke.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles River Editors" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/second-treatise-of-government-by-john-locke/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Locke" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/second-treatise-of-government-by-john-locke/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/charles-river-editors-1165_locke_second-treatise-of-government-by-john-lo_273806.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Second Treatise of Government by John Locke.” — Charles River Editors", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles River Editors", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Second Treatise of Government by John...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/second-treatise-of-government-by-john-locke/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/second-treatise-of-government-by-john-locke/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```