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📘 Locke attacks the idea that kings inherit political power

The First Treatise begins by challenging a claim associated with Robert Filmer: that Adam received from God a natural authority over his descendants, and that monarchs inherit that authority.

3
lessons
~15 min
to learn
Adults
level
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What you’ll learn

  1. Equality and the state of natureExplain Locke's rejection of inherited rule and his account of natural freedom, equality, and the state of nature.No one begins with built-in jurisdiction; government is a remedy for partial judgment and weak enforcement.
  2. Property and political consentTrace labor-based property, its limits, and consent as the basis of political society.Appropriation and authorization both depend on limits — enough and as good, express and tacit consent.
  3. Limits, resistance, and legacyDescribe legislative bounds, justified resistance, toleration, and Locke's enduring questions.Lawmaking stays fiduciary; broken trust can dissolve authority; influence does not settle every inclusion problem.

Questions this course answers

Why does Locke say people leave the state of nature?

Locke presents government as a remedy for partial judgment and insecure enforcement, not as proof that people are naturally subject to a ruler.

Match each idea to its role in Locke’s property argument.

Locke’s property argument includes both a route to appropriation and limits intended to protect others, with money changing the scale of holdings.

Why is tacit consent controversial?

A theory grounded in consent must explain when conduct communicates genuine authorization rather than necessity or acquiescence.

When does Locke say a government loses its claim to obedience?

Locke treats government as a trust. Arbitrary rule, seizure, blocked lawmaking, and force used for private domination can dissolve that trust.

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