Second Treatise of Government
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Edited by A. John Simmons, “one of our most distinguished theorists of political obligation” (Jeremy Waldron), the Norton Library edition of Locke’s Second Treatise of Government features the complete text of the sixth (1764) edition, which incorporated all of Locke’s corrections to previous editions. Punctuation has been altered and spelling modernized wherever necessary to eliminate ambiguity and make the text more readable. Extensive endnotes explain obscure terms and references and clarify Locke’s arguments. A thorough introduction situates the work in historical and intellectual context and, most importantly, traces its major themes and arguments to help readers approach “the greatest English philosopher[’s]” (Antony Flew) most influential work with confidence and understanding.
A. John Simmons retired in 2020 as the John Allen Hollingsworth Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law at the University of Virginia, where he had taught since 1976. He has been an editor of the journal Philosophy & Public Affairs since 1982. He is the author of Moral Principles and Political Obligations (1979), The Lockean Theory of Rights (1992), On the Edge of Anarchy: Locke, Consent, and the Limits of Society (1993), Justification and Legitimacy: Essays on Rights and Obligations (2000), Is There a Duty to Obey the Law? For and Against (2008), and Boundaries of Authority (2016), and he has edited the books International Ethics (1985) and Punishment (1995).