John Locke

Locke begins by defining the three fundamental forms of government. When men first unite into a society, they have all the power of the community naturally in themselves.

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So now we begin on Locke’s Second Treatise, the positive description of the nature of government. Locke’s Second Treatise consists of 19 Chapters, each titled “Of … ” Locke has been accused even by his adherents of forsaking scripture, I disagree. In fact, he is the first modern political theorist to rely exclusively on scripture and to show how the correct law of nature will always agree with revealed law. If it does not, it is not correct. Therefore, I will take pains to underscore his references to scripture.

Of Political Power

His first act is to recap his dissection of Sir Robert Fuller’s treatise as follows taken directly:

• Firstly. That Adam had not, either by natural right of fatherhood or by positive donation from God, any such authority over his children, nor dominion over the world, as is pretended.
• Secondly. That if he had, his heirs yet had no right to it.
• Thirdly. That if his heirs had, there being no law of Nature nor positive law of God that determines which is the right heir in all cases that may arise, the right of succession, and consequently of bearing rule, could not have been certainly determined.

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At the outset, I defined this effort as a discussion of John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. Of course, as the name suggests, there is also a First Treatise of Government which I had not as yet read. Therefore, I set to reading Locke’s First Treatise to find out what its relationship is to the Second. Was it a first draft supplanted by the Second or was the Second a continuation of the First.

Locke’s First Treatise of Government is in fact a rebuttal to a work by Sir Robert Fuller who sought to justify divine right kings. He found Fuller’s work to be generally absurd, and proceeded to spend great effort to expose those absurdities. Locke accuses Fuller of making vague and repetitive arguments, which in turn causes Locke’s rebuttal to be repetitive as well. Having satisfied with himself that he had debunked Fuller’s work, Locke set about defining what in fact does constitute legitimate government. Lock had in fact at least begun his Second Treatise when he was writing the last chapters of his First Treatise since he makes direct reference to the Sixth Chapter of his Second Treatise regarding paternal power.

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