Delegates Quote by John Locke
“The people cannot delegate to government the power to do anything which would be unlawful for them to do themselves.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Two Treatises of Government by John Locke, 1689
People must retain the right to act lawfully themselves; they cannot give governments powers that would allow illegal actions.
In simple terms: Citizens keep ultimate legal authority.
Key Takeaway
Guard personal freedoms against governmental overreach.
Themes
freedom
government
law
rights
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
political
educational
When to use this quote
- voting
- civil protest
- legal advocacy
Key Concepts
social contract
political philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can citizens effectively limit governmental power?
- What mechanisms ensure accountability?
A Different Perspective
Governments may still overstep despite legal limits.
![“[M]an is not permitted without censure to follow his own thoughts in the search of truth, when they lead him ever so little out of the common road.” quote by John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9bd/john-locke-814_censorship_m-an-is-not-permitted-without-censure-to_60175.jpg)
![“When [Erwin Schrödinger] went to the Solvay conferences in Brussels, he would walk from the station to the hotel where the delegates stayed, carrying all his luggage in a rucksack and looking so like a tramp that it needed a great deal of argument at the reception desk before he could claim a room.” quote by Paul Dirac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3c4/paul-dirac-13270_argument_when-erwin-schr-dinger-went-to-the-solva_191459.jpg)
