In this, the second of his Two Treatises of Government, John Locke examines humankind’s transition from its original state of nature to a civil society. One can see the lasting influence of Locke’s ideas through their familiarity to the modern reader—the roots of classical liberalism are here, and many of Locke’s arguments foreshadow contemporary debates concerning government, liberty, and property rights. The introduction and annotations included in this edition are intended to contextualize the work and prevent misunderstanding, without advancing any particular scholarly interpretation or merely summarizing Locke’s reasoning. This edition has its origin in the acclaimed Broadview Anthology of Social and Political Thought and adheres to the anthology’s format and high standards of accuracy and accessibility. The Broadview Anthology of Social and Political Thought is edited by Andrew Bailey (University of Guelph), Samantha Brennan (University of Western Ontario), Will Kymlicka (Queen’s University), Jacob Levy (McGill University), Alex Sager (Portland State University), and Clark Wolf (Iowa State University).

The Second Treatise is one of the most important political treatises ever written and one of the most far-reaching in its influence. In his provocative 15-page introduction to this edition, the late eminent political theorist C. B. Macpherson examines Locke's arguments for limited, conditional government, private property, and right of revolution and suggests reasons for the appeal of these arguments in Locke's time and since.

Sir Filmer