Two Treatises on Civil Government

Two Treatises on Civil Government is John Locke's classic defense of natural rights, political consent, limited government, and the right of resistance against tyranny. Written against theories of absolute monarchy, the work argues that legitimate government exists to protect life, liberty, and property, and that rulers remain accountable to the people.

The First Treatise attacks patriarchal justifications of royal power, while the Second Treatise sets out Locke's positive account of political society, property, law, consent, trust, and revolution. Two Treatises on Civil Government became a major source for liberal constitutional thought and later debates about democracy and rights. Readers interested in political philosophy, modern liberalism, and the foundations of representative government will find it indispensable.