Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Second Treatise of Government, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Nature, War, and Civil Society
Consent of the Governed and the Role of Government
Power and Absolute Monarchies
The Dissolution of Government
Summary
Analysis
First, Locke says, God did not give Adam dominion over the world or any innate right of fatherhood, as Sir Robert Filmer maintains. And even if Adam was given this dominion by some supreme power, his heirs still don’t have a right to it. Furthermore, it is impossible to determine who Adam’s heirs are, and since so much time has passed, they surely must all be equal by now. It is impossible, Locke contends, for any living person to draw power from such an authority.
Through Patriarcha, Filmer argues that monarchs have a divine right to rule because they are descendants of the biblical Adam. Locke considers this theory ridiculous for many reasons, but he ultimately claims such power isn’t transferable to Adam’s supposed descendants. Locke’s definition of power, especially political power, is not transferrable, as such power over the people must always be obtained with consent of the people. Filmer’s hypothesis removes any chance for consent, as he claims royal power is divine and innate.
Themes
Literary Devices
Locke says it is important to describe what he means by “political power,” which is the right to make laws and enforce penalties—up to and including death—to regulate and preserve property, protect the common-wealth from foreign and domestic injury, and work for the good of the public. The power of a magistrate, Locke maintains, is different from other forms of power, such as the power of a father, husband, master, or lord.
Locke’s definition of power lays the foundation for the rest of the book. He is particularly concerned with the tendency others have to confuse the different kinds of power. Filmer’s understanding of absolute monarchies embraces paternal power, which Locke ultimately argues is not the same as political power.
Themes
Literary Devices
