Absurdity Quote by John Locke
“Thirdly, the supreme power cannot take from any man any part of his property without his own consent: for the preservation of property being the end of government, and that for which men enter into society, it necessarily supposes and requires, that the people should have property, without which they must be supposed to lose that, by entering into society, which was the end for which they entered into it; too gross an absurdity for any man to own.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise on Government, 1690
Government must protect property only with owners' consent; otherwise it violates its purpose.
In simple terms: Government protects property only with consent.
Key Takeaway
Ensure consent before taking property.
Themes
government
property
consent
social contract
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
legal
When to use this quote
- tax policy
- land reform
- public utilities
- legal disputes
Key Concepts
political philosophy
rights
legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What constitutes true consent?
- How to balance individual rights with collective needs?
A Different Perspective
Consent may be hard to define in practice.
![“[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)
