Two Treatises On Civil Government

Viac o knihe

This 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, comprises two parts: the First Treatise critiques patriarchalism through a detailed refutation of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha, while the Second Treatise presents Locke's vision for a civilized society grounded in natural rights and contract theory. This work contrasts with Locke's earlier writings, including the unpublished conservative “Two Tracts on Government” from 1660 and the 1669 co-authored Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, which supported aristocracy, slavery, and serfdom. The backdrop of the Glorious Revolution in 1688, when King James II was overthrown by a coalition of Parliamentarians and William III of Orange, influenced Locke's writing. In the "Preface," he claims to justify William III's ascension, although Peter Laslett posits that much of the text was completed earlier, during the Exclusion Crisis aimed at preventing James II's rule. Locke's mentor, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, introduced a bill during this period, which ultimately failed. Richard Ashcraft argues that the political climate surrounding the Rye House Plot better contextualizes the Treatises. Aware of the risks involved, Locke never publicly acknowledged his authorship during his lifetime.