Second Treatise of Government
John Locke
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
The state of nature
How does Locke's picture of the state of nature differ from Hobbes's war of all against all?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he think people in that state are already bound by a law of nature?
- What goes wrong in the state of nature that makes government necessary?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
How does Locke's picture of the state of nature differ from Hobbes's war of all against all?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he think people in that state are already bound by a law of nature?
- What goes wrong in the state of nature that makes government necessary?
How convincing do you find Locke's argument that we make something our property by mixing our labour with it?
Keep the conversation going
- What limits does he put on how much a person may take?
- How does the invention of money change his account?
What part do the Native Americans play in Locke's argument about land, labour and property?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does it matter that he describes America as land waiting to be improved?
- How should we read his argument today, knowing what followed?
What does Locke mean by consent, and how can a person be said to consent to a government they were born under?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you respond to his idea of tacit consent?
- Is his account of consent strong enough to bear the weight he puts on it?
How does Locke define slavery, and why does he think no one can sell themselves into it?
Keep the conversation going
- How does his discussion of slavery sit with his own involvement in colonial affairs?
- What distinction does he draw between paternal, political and despotic power?
Why does Locke make the legislative the supreme power in a commonwealth, and what limits does he set on it?
Keep the conversation going
- Why can the legislature not take a person's property without their consent?
- Where do you see these ideas in governments today?
What does Locke allow the executive to do without law, for the public good, and why?
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- Is prerogative a dangerous loophole or a necessary one?
- Who decides when it has been abused?
When does Locke think a people may rightly resist and replace their government?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he insist revolution will not happen over small mistakes?
- How did his argument shape later revolutions, in England, America and elsewhere?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.