Two Treatises On Civil Government

Viac o knihe

This elegantly formatted collection of treatises on Civil Government by John Locke features an Active Table of Contents for easy navigation. Locke’s “Two Treatises of Civil Government,” published anonymously in 1689, presents a significant work of political philosophy. The First Treatise critiques patriarchalism through a detailed refutation of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha, while the Second Treatise articulates Locke's vision for a civilized society grounded in natural rights and contract theory. This publication offers a contrast to Locke's earlier political writings. In 1660, he drafted Two Tracts on Government, advocating a conservative stance, which he never published. In 1669, he co-authored the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, supporting aristocracy and slavery. The backdrop of the Glorious Revolution in 1688, which saw King James II overthrown by William III of Orange, influenced Locke's work. In the "Preface," he claims to justify William III's ascension, although Peter Laslett argues much of the writing was completed earlier, during the Exclusion Crisis aimed at preventing James II's rule. Locke's mentor, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, introduced the failed bill against James II. Despite the revolutionary context, Richard Ashcraft contends that Shaftesbury's party did not advocate for revolution at that time. Locke, aware of the risks, never claimed authorship during his lifetime, as he and others faced exile and persecut