Concerning Civil Government, Second Essay
contributor: Eric Lease Morgan (Infomotions, Inc.)
creator: Locke, John
date: 0000-00-00
extent: 299564
format: text/plain
language: en
publisher: Eris Etext Project
rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/GPL/2.0/
source: 1
subject: power
subject: man
subject: government
subject: people
subject: pretended
subject: law
subject: nature
subject: positive
subject: god
subject: determines
subject: heir
subject: cases
subject: arise
subject: locke
subject: john
subject: concerning
subject: civil
subject: essay
subject: western
subject: philosophy
type: text
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sort title: Concerning Civil Government, Second Essay
full text: 1690 CONCERNING CIVIL GOVERNMENT, SECOND ESSAY AN ESSAY CONCERNING THE TRUE ORIGINAL EXTENT AND END OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT by John Locke Chapter I Of Political Power 1. It having been shown in the foregoing discourse:* * An Essay Concerning Certain False Principles. 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. Fourthly. That if even that had been determined, yet the knowledge of which is the eldest line of Adam's posterity being so long since utterly lost, that in the races of mankind and families of the world, there remains not to one above another the least pretence to be the eldest house, and to have the right of inheritance. All these promises having, as I think, been clearly made out, it is impossible that the rulers now on earth should make any benefit, or derive any the least shadow of authority from that which is held to be the fountain of all power, "Adam's private dominion and paternal jurisdiction"; so that he that will not give just occasion to think that all government in the world is the product only of force and violence, and that men live together by no other rules but that of beasts, where the strongest carries it, and so lay a foundation for perpetual disorder and mischief, tumult, sedition, and rebellion (things that the followers of that hypothesis so loudly cry out against), must of necessity find out another rise of government, another original of political power, and another way of designing and knowing the persons that have it than what Sir Robert Filmer hath taught us. 2. To this purpose, I think it…