Second Treatise of the Government audiobook cover - An Essay Concerning the True Origin, Extent and End of Civil Government

Second Treatise of the Government

An Essay Concerning the True Origin, Extent and End of Civil Government

John Locke

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Second Treatise of the Government
The State of Nature+
Property Rights+
Slavery & Liberty+
Types of Power+
War & Conquest+
Government Structure+
Limits on Authority+
Right to Resistance+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10
What guides human behavior and dictates that we should not harm others in Locke's 'state of nature'?
  • A. A central democratic government
  • B. The laws of nature granted by God
  • C. The fear of absolute monarchs
  • D. A mutually agreed-upon constitution
Question 2 of 10
According to Locke, what is the primary purpose of punishing someone who harms you or your property in the state of nature?
  • A. To exact revenge and inflict equal physical pain
  • B. To demonstrate dominance and assert political power
  • C. To get reparation for losses and deter future crimes
  • D. To force the offender into a lifetime of slavery
Question 3 of 10
How does an individual legitimately claim ownership of natural resources, according to Locke?
  • A. By dedicating their labor to those resources
  • B. By receiving a mandate from the ruling monarch
  • C. By claiming them before anyone else discovers them
  • D. By purchasing them from the local government
Question 4 of 10
Which of the following is NOT one of Locke's limitations on property ownership?
  • A. You must leave enough resources for everyone else
  • B. You may only own as much as you can actually use or consume
  • C. You must pay a portion of your property as a tax to the community
  • D. You cannot claim ownership of something that already belongs to someone else
Question 5 of 10
Under what specific condition does Locke believe slavery is justified?
  • A. When a person willingly sells themselves to pay off a debt
  • B. When an individual is captured during an unprovoked war of conquest
  • C. When a person commits a serious crime and forfeits their right to life
  • D. When a society democratically votes to enslave a minority group
Question 6 of 10
Why is parental power considered legitimate while political power requires explicit consent?
  • A. Parents have a divine right to rule, whereas politicians do not
  • B. Children do not yet possess the full faculties of reason, whereas adults do
  • C. Parents physically create their children, giving them absolute ownership
  • D. Children are legally considered property until they reach adulthood
Question 7 of 10
After a just war, what right does the conqueror have over the defeated nation's general populace?
  • A. The conqueror gains ultimate political power over the populace
  • B. The conqueror has the right to appropriate the populace's land and property
  • C. The conqueror has the right to enslave the populace for labor
  • D. The conqueror gains no power over the populace, as they did not consent to the war
Question 8 of 10
Why does Locke argue that legislative and executive powers must be separated?
  • A. Because combining them makes the government too slow and inefficient
  • B. Because the executive branch lacks the intelligence to write laws
  • C. Because combining them makes the abuse of power highly likely due to human fragility
  • D. Because the laws of nature explicitly forbid a single ruler from holding both powers
Question 9 of 10
What justifies the executive power acting beyond or breaking the law (the prerogative of the government)?
  • A. A majority vote from the legislative branch
  • B. The action is taken in the interest of the common good of all people
  • C. The executive leader believes they possess a divine mandate
  • D. The government needs to increase its revenue during a crisis
Question 10 of 10
According to Locke, who is the ultimate judge of whether a political authority has overstepped its limits and justified resistance?
  • A. A neutral, international tribunal
  • B. The legislative branch
  • C. The executive leader
  • D. The people

Second Treatise of the Government — Full Chapter Overview

Second Treatise of the Government Summary & Overview

Locke’s Second Treatise offers an in-depth analysis on the origin of our right to liberty and the rights of governments. It shows how, by respecting the laws of nature, we can limit the power of government to best protect ourselves and our property from destruction or worse, tyranny.

Who Should Listen to Second Treatise of the Government?

  • Anybody interested in politics
  • Anybody interested in the history of ideas and philosophy
  • Anybody interested in the foundations of liberalism and democracy

About the Author: John Locke

John Locke (1632-1704) is one of the world’s most important political philosophers. Considered the “father of classical liberalism,” Locke was an influential thinker during the Enlightenment period, and his ideas on philosophy and civil government inspired other major personalities, such as Voltaire, as well as many American revolutionaries – ideas that are still alive and influential today.

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