John Locke

"..every Man has a Property in his own Person. This no Body has any Right to but himself. The Labour of his Body, and the Work of his Hands, we may say, are properly his. .... The great and chief end therefore, of Mens uniting into Commonwealths, and putting themselves under Government, is the Preservation of their Property."

10 likes

Source: Second Treatise of Civil Government ch. 9, sec. 124 (1690)

About the author

John Locke

John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

John Locke was a 17th-century philosopher known for his influential ideas on liberalism, particularly in his work 'Two Treatises of Government.'

All quotes by John Locke →

Same author

More quotes by John Locke

See all →
John Locke Philosopher, Physician

"All men by nature are equal in that equal right that every man hath to his natural freedom, without being subjected to the will or authority of any other man; being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions."

Read quote
John Locke Philosopher, Physician

"Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip."

Read quote
John Locke Philosopher, Physician

"Any single man must judge for himself whether circumstances warrant obedience or resistance to the commands of the civil magistrate; we are all qualified, entitled, and morally obliged to evaluate the conduct of our rulers. This political judgment, moreover, is not simply or primarily a right, but like self-preservation, a duty to God. As such it is a judgment that men cannot part with according to the God of Nature. It is the first and foremost of our inalienable rights without which we can preserve no other."

Read quote