Synopsis

John Locke1s Second Treatise of Government (c. 1681) is perhaps the key founding liberal text. A Letter Concerning Toleration, written in 1685 ( a year when a Catholic monarch came to the throne of England and Louis XIV unleashed a reign of terror against Protestants in France), is a classic defense of religious freedom. Yet many of Locke1s other writings This comprehensive collection brings together the main published works (excluding polemical attacks on other people1s views) with the most important surviving evidence from among Locke1s papers relating to his political philosophy. David Wootton1s wide-ranging and scholarly Introduction sets the writings in the context of their time, examines Locke1s developing ideas and unorthodox Christianity, and analyzes his main arguments. The result is the first fully rounded picture of Locke1s political thought in his own words.