--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This makes it Lawful for a Man to Kill a…" description: "\"“This makes it Lawful for a Man to Kill a Thief, who has not in the least hurt him, nor declared any design upon his life, any farther then by the use ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/john-locke-814_i-ll-kill-you_this-makes-it-lawful-for-a-man-to-kill-a_224507.png" --- # This makes it Lawful for a Man to Kill a Thief, who has… ![“This makes it Lawful for a Man to Kill a Thief, who has not in the least hurt him, nor declared any design upon his life, any farther then by the use of Force, so to get him in his Power, as to take away his Money, or what he pleases from him.: because using force, where he has no Right, to get me…” quote by John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/john-locke-814_i-ll-kill-you_this-makes-it-lawful-for-a-man-to-kill-a_224507.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/john-locke-814_i-ll-kill-you_this-makes-it-lawful-for-a-man-to-kill-a_224507.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/john-locke-814_i-ll-kill-you_this-makes-it-lawful-for-a-man-to-kill-a_224507.png) > ““This makes it Lawful for a Man to Kill a Thief, who has not in the least hurt him, nor declared any design upon his life, any farther then by the use of Force, so to get him in his Power, as to take away his Money, or what he pleases from him.: because using force, where he has no Right, to get me into his Power, let his pretense be what it will, I have no reason to purpose that he, who would take away my Liberty, would not when he had me in his Power, take away every thing else. And therefore it is Lawful for me to treat him, as one who has put himself into a State of War with me, I.e. kill him if I can; for to that hazard does he justly expose himself, whoever introduces a State of War, and is Aggressor in it.”” [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that using force to dominate another without justification makes the victim a legitimate target for lethal force, treating them as an aggressor in a state of war. **In simple terms:** If someone forces you without right, you may kill them. Key Takeaway Recognize when force is unjustified. Themes justice legitimacy self‑defence war morality Mood defensive serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political theory - legal justification - ethical debate - personal autonomy Key Concepts social contract property rights state of nature Questions to Reflect On - Is force always justified when rights are violated? - Can power dynamics be resolved without lethal means? 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