This Norton Critical Edition begins with Paul E. Sigmund’s insightful, comprehensive introduction to the volume, which provides readers with biographical background and a history of the interpretation of Locke’s writings, giving particular attention to the ideologically influenced debates of the last fifty years. Locke’s most important political writings--The Two Treatises of Government (The First Treatise generously excerpted; The Second Treatise complete) and A Letter Concerning Toleration--are accompanied by explanatory, annotations. The Selected Political Writings of John Locke is the only student edition available that includes, in addition to Locke’s political texts, selections from his ethical, epistemological, and religious writings--Essays on the Lazy, of Nature, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and The Reasonableness of Christianity.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Selected Political Writings of John Locke

  Two Treatises of Government

 From The Preface

 From The First Treatise of Government

   Book I

    From Chapter 1.

    From Chapter 4. Of Adam’s Title to Sovereignty by

      Donation Gen. 1:28

    From Chapter 5. Of Adam’s Title to Sovereignty by

      the Subjection of Eve

    From Chapter 6. Of Adam’s Title to Sovereignty by

      Fatherhood

    From Chapter 9. Of Monarchy by Inheritance from

      Adam

    From Chapter 11. Who Heir?

 The Second Treatise of Government

 A Letter Concerning Toleration

Background Selections

 Essays on the Law of Nature (1663-64)

     From I. Is There a Rule of Morals or Law of

      Nature Given to Us? Yes

     From II. Can the Law of Nature Be Known by

      the Light of Nature? Yes

     From III [IV]. Is the Law of Nature Inscribed in

      the Minds of Men? No

     From IV [V]. Can Reason Attain to the Knowledge

      of Natural Law through Sense-Experience? Yes

     From V [VIII. Can the Law of Nature Be Known

      from the General Consent of Men? No

     From VII [X]. ls the Binding Force of the Law of

      Nature Perpetual and Universal? Yes

    From VIII [IX]. Is Every Man’s Own Interest the

      Basis of the Law of Nature? No

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding ( 1671-90)

  Book 1. Of Innate Notions

    From Chapter 1. Introduction

    From Chapter 2. No Innate Principles in the

      Mind

    From Chapter 3. No Innate Practical Principles

    From Chapter 4. Other Considerations Concerning

      Innate Principles, Both Speculative and Practical

  Book 2. Of Ideas

    From Chapter 2. Of Ideas in General and Their

      Origin

    From Chapter 20. Of Modes of Pleasure and Pain

    From Chapter 21. Of Power

    From Chapter 23.

    From Chapter 27. Of Identity and Diversity

    From Chapter 28. Of Other Relations

  Book 3. Of Words

    From Chapter 1. Of Words or Language in General

    From Chapter 6. Of the Names of Substances

    From Chapter 9. Of the Imperfections of Words

    From Chapter I 1. Of the Remedies of the

      Foregoing Imperfections and Abuses

  Book 4. Of Knowledge and Opinion

    From Chapter 3. Of the Extent of Human

      Knowledge

    From Chapter 4. Of the Reality of Knowledge

    From Chapter I 0. Of Our Knowledge of the

      Existence of God

    From Chapter 12. Of the Improvement of Our

      Knowledge

    From Chapter 14. Of Judgement

    From Chapter 16. Of the Degrees of Assent

    From Chapter 17. Of Reason

    From Chapter 18. Of Faith and Reason, and Their

      Distinct Provinces

    From Chapter 20. Of Wrong Assent, or Error

From The Reasonableness of Christianity (1695)

Sources

Richard Hooker · Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical

      Polity (1593)

    From Book I

Hugo Grotius · On the Law of War and Peace (1625)

    From Prolegomena

    From Book I

    From Book II

Thomas Hobbes · Leviathan (1651)

    From Part I. Of Man

    From Part II. Of Commonwealth

Samuel von Pufendorf · On the Law of Nature and of

      Nations (1672)

    From Book I. Chapter 6. On Law in General

    From Book II. Chapter 2. On the Natural State of

      Man

    From Book II. Chapter 3. On the Law of Nature in

      General

    From Book III. Chapter 2. All Men Are Accounted

      as Naturally Equal

    From Book IV. Chapter 4. On the Origin of

      Dominion

    From Book VI. Chapter 2. On Paternal Power

    From Book VI. Chapter 3. On the Power of a

      Master

    From Book VII. Chapter 2. On the Internal

      Structure of the State

    From Book VII. Chapter 8. On the Sanctity of the

      Supreme Sovereign in States

Sir Robert Filmer · Patriarcha or the Natural Power of

      Kings Defended against the Unnatural Liberty of

      the People (1680)

    From Chapter I. That the First Kings Were Fathers

      of Families

    From Chapter II. It Is Unnatural For the People to

      Govern or Choose Governors

    From Chapter III. Positive Laws Do Not Infringe

      the Natural and Fatherly Power of Kings

Interpretations

  LOCKE AS HOBBESIAN HEDONIST

Leo Strauss · From Natural Right and History

John Yolton · Strauss on Locke’s Law of Nature

A. John Simmons · From The Lockean Theory of Rights

  LOCKE AS APOLOGIST FOR CAPITALISM

C. B. Macpherson · Locke and Possessive

    Individualism

Alan Ryan · Locke and the Dictatorship of the

    Bourgeoisie

  EQUALITY AND MAJORITY RULE IN LOCKE

Paul E. Sigmund · Equality, Legitimacy, and Majority

    Rule in Locke: Continuity and Change

Jeremy Waldron · From God, Locke, and Equality

  LOCKE AS COLLECTIVIST

James Tully · Property and Obligation in Locke

Jeremy Waldron · Locke’s Discussion of Property

  LOCKEAN INDIVIDUALISM: ATOMIST1C OR SOCIAL?

Charles Taylor · The "Punctual" Self: Locke and

    Atomistic Instrumentalism

Ruth Grant · Locke’s Political Anthropology and

    Lockean Individualism

  CONSENT AND REPRESENTATION: GENUINE OR FICTITIOUS?

A. John Simmons · The Meaning of Consent in Locke

Geraint Parry · Locke on Representation in Politics

  LOCKE AS REVOLUTIONARY)

Richard Ashcraft · Radicalism and Lockean Political

    Theory

Mark Goldie · Conservative Revolutionary or Social

    Democrat?

  RELIGION AND POLITICS

W. M. Spellman · Locke and Original Sin

John Dunn · The Claim to Freedom of Conscience:

    Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Thought, Freedom

    of Worship

David Wootton · An Evaluation of Locke’s Argument

    against Persecution

  WOMEN AND SLAVERY: LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE)

James Farr · "So Vile and Miserable an Estate":

    The Problem of Slavery in Locke’s Political

    Thought

Melissa Butler · Early Liberal Roots of Feminism:

    John Locke and the Attack on Patriarchy

  LOCKE IN AMERICA

Steven M. Dworetz · Locke, Liberalism, and the

    American Revolution

Selected Bibliography