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

“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

“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

“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

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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“I think it will be but a very modest computation to say, that of the products of the earth useful to the life of man, nine-tenths are the effects of labour: nay, if we will rightly estimate things as they come to our use, and cast up the several expenses about them, what in them is purely owing to nature, and what to labour, we shall find, that in most of them ninety-nine hundredths are wholly to be put on the account of labour.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“The measure of property nature has well set by the extent of men's labour and the conveniencies of life: no man's labour could subdue, or appropriate all; nor could his enjoyment consume more than a small part; so that it was impossible for any man, this way, to intrench upon the right of another, or acquire to himself a property, to the prejudice of his neighbour, who would still have room for as good and as large a possession (after the other had taken out his) as before it was appropriated.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“So that God, by commanding to subdue, gave authority so far to appropriate: and the condition of human life, which requires labour and materials to work on, necessarily introduces private possessions.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“He that, in obedience to this command of God, subdued, tilled, and sowed any part of it, thereby annexed to it something
that was his property, which another had no title to, nor could without injury take from him.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“As much as any one can make use of to any advantage of life before it spoils, so much he may by his labour fix a property in: whatever is beyond this, is more than his share, and belongs to others.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“It being by him removed from the common state nature hath placed it in, it hath by this labour something annexed to it that excludes the common right of other men.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Freedom, then, is not what sir Robert Filmer tells us, O.A. 55, " a liberty for every one to do what he lists, to live as he pleases, and not to be tied by any laws :" but freedom of men under government is, to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of the society,”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“To avoid this state of war (wherein there is no appeal but to Heaven, and wherein every the least difference is apt to end, where there is no authority to decide between the contenders) is one great reason of men's putting themselves into society, and quitting the state of nature:”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“In transgressing the law of nature, the offender declares himself to live by another rule than that of reason and common equity, which is that measure God has set to the actions of men for their mutual security; and so he becomes dangerous to mankind, the tie, which is to secure them from injury and violence, being slighted and broken by him : which being a trespass against the whole species, and the peace and safety of it, provided for by the law of nature; every man upon this score, by the right he hath to preserve mankind in general, may restrain, or, where it is necessary, destroy things noxious to them, and so may bring such evil on any one, who hath transgressed that law, as may make him repent the doing of it, and thereby deter him, and by his example others, from doing the like mischief.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions:”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“Political power, then, I take to be a right of making laws with penalties of death, and consequently all less penalties, for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community, in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the commonwealth from foreign injury; and all this only for the public good.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“I take to be political power; that the power of a magistrate over a subject may be distinguished from that of a father over his children, a master over his servants, a husband over his wife, and a lord over his slave.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“When any such declaration of God's intention is produced, it will be our duty to believe God intends it so; but till that be done, our author must show us some better warrant, before we shall be obliged to receive him as the authentic revealer of God's intentions.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“If kings, who are not heirs to Adam, have no right to sovereignty, we are all free,”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

“God planted in men a strong desire also of propagating their kind, and continuing themselves in their posterity; and this gives children a title to share in the property of their parents, and a right to inherit their possessions.”
― John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration