Two Treatises of Government Quotes

“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

“The great question which in all ages has disturbed mankind, and brought on them the greatest part of those mischiefs which have ruined cities, depopulated countries, and disordered the peace of the world, has been, not whether there be power in the world, nor whence it came, but who should have it.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Methinks Sir Robert should have carried his Monarchical Power one step higher and satisfied the World, that Princes might eat their Subjects too.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

“I therefore took it into my hands with all the expectation and read it through with all the attention due to a Treaties, that made such a noise at its coming abroad and cannot but confess my self mightily surprised, that in a Book which was to provide Chains for all Mankind, I should find nothing but a Rope of Sand, useful perhaps to such, whose Skill and Business it is to raise a Dust, and would blind the People, the better to mislead them, but in truth is not of any force to draw those into Bondage, who have their Eyes open, and so much Sense about them as to consider, that Chains are but an Ill wearing, how much Care soever hath been taken to file and polish them.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

“Books seem to me to be pestilent things, and infect all that trade in them … with something very perverse and brutal. Printers, binders, sellers, and others that make a trade and gain out of them have universally so odd a turn and corruption of mind, that they have a way of dealing peculiar to themselves, and not conformed to the good of society, and that general fairness that cements mankind.”
― John Locke, Locke: Two Treatises of Government

“As much land as a man tills, plants, improves, cultivates, and can use the product of, so much is his property.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Kings are above the laws,”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Where there is no property, there is no injury”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Goverment

“Freedom of Men under Government, is, to have a standing Rule to live by, common to every one of that Society, and made by the Legislative Power erected in it; A Liberty to follow my own Will in all things, where the Rule prescribes not; and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, Arbitrary Will of another Man.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

“Hence it is a mistake to think, that the supreme or legislative power of any common-wealth, can do what it will, and dispose of the estates of the subject arbitrarily, or take any part of them at pleasure.”
― John Locke, The Two Treatises of Civil Government

“It is no injury to call an half quotation an half reason.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

“positive laws of an established government.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“but freedom is not, as we are told, " a liberty for every man to do what he lists:" (for who could be free, when every other man's humour might domineer over him ?) but a liberty to dispose and order as he lists his person, actions, possessions, and his whole property, within the allowance of those laws under which he is, and therein not to be subject to the arbitrary will of another, but freely follow his own.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“where there is no law, there is no freedom;”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“that, however it may be mistaken, the end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and
enlarge freedom:”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Adam's children, being not presently as soon as born under this law of reason, were not presently free : for law, in its true notion, is not so much the limitation, as the direction of a free and intelligent agent to his proper interest, and prescribes no farther than is for the general good of those under that law:”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“nobody can be under a law which is not promulgated to him;”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“all parents were, by the law of nature, "under an obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate the children" they had begotten; not as their own workmanship, but the workmanship of their own maker, the Almighty, to whom they were to be accountable for them.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“govern his actions according to the dictates of the law of reason which God had implanted in him.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Children, I confess, are not born in this state of equality, though they are born to it.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“equality which all men are in, in respect of jurisdiction or dominion one over another; which was the equality I there spoke of, as proper to the business in hand, being that equal right that every man hath to his natural freedom, without being subjected to the will or authority of any other man.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“we consult reason or revelation,”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Right and conveniency went together; for as a man had a right to all he could employ his labour upon, so he had no temptation to labour for more than he could make use of. This left no room for controversy about the title, nor for encroachment on the right of others ; what portion a man carved to himself was easily seen: and it was useless, as well as dishonest, to carve himself too much, or take more than he needed.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“And thus came in the use of money, some lasting thing that men might keep without spoiling, and that by mutual consent men would take in exchange for the truly useful, but perishable supports of life.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“He was only to look that he used them before they spoiled, else he took more than his share, and robbed others.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“gold, silver, and diamonds, are things that fancy or agreement hath put the value on, more than real use,”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“though this can scarce happen amongst that part of mankind that have consented to the use of money.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“From all which it is evident, that though the things of nature are given in common, yet man, by being master of himself, and " proprietor of his own person, and the actions or labour of it, had still in himself the great foundation of property;" and that which made up the greater part of what he applied to the support or comfort of his being, when invention and arts had improved the conveniencies of life, was perfectly his own, and did not belong in common to others.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“This shows how much numbers of men are to be preferred to largeness of dominions ; and that the increase of lands, and the right of employing of them, is the great art of government: and that prince, who shall be so wise and godlike, as by established laws of liberty to secure protection and encouragement to the honest industry of mankind, against the oppression of power and narrowness of party, will quickly be too hard for his neighbours: but this by the by. To return to the argument in hand.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“king of a large and fruitful territory there feeds, lodges, and is clad worse than a day-labourer in England.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration