John Locke's ideas and philosophical points are made in both treatises. His points arose during the middle of England's political issues with Charles II. Locke's first treatise is a criticism of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha, which makes an arguement in support of the divine rights of kings. Filmer's theory in Patriarcha is that all men are born as slaves and that they are slaves to the divine kings. In his first treatise, Locke argues against Filmer's theory and provides a counter theory of his own. Locke states in his first treatise that every man can virtuosly govern themselves according to god's law. This is his first philosophical point that he makes in his work.
"For I find no difficulty to suppose the freedom of mankind, though I have always believed the creation of Adam; he was created, or began to exist, by God's immediate power, without the intervention of parents or the pre-existence of any of the same species to beget him, when it pleased God he should."
In the second treatise, Locke proposes an answer to the political upheaval in England and in other modern countries. Locke makes a point in his second treatise that directly defines political power. He defines that political power is the right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property. In Locke's view, the laws only work because the people accept these laws and because they are for the good of the public.
"Political power, then, I take to be a right of making laws, with penalties of death, and consequently all less penalties for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the commonwealth from foreign injury, and all this only for the public good."
Locke also states in his second treatise that all men are originally in a state of nature. This means that man in this original state is bound by the laws of nature, but he is otherwise able to live, act, and dispose of his possessions as he sees fit.
"To understand political power aright, and derive it from its original, we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of Nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man."
"For I find no difficulty to suppose the freedom of mankind, though I have always believed the creation of Adam; he was created, or began to exist, by God's immediate power, without the intervention of parents or the pre-existence of any of the same species to beget him, when it pleased God he should."
In the second treatise, Locke proposes an answer to the political upheaval in England and in other modern countries. Locke makes a point in his second treatise that directly defines political power. He defines that political power is the right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property. In Locke's view, the laws only work because the people accept these laws and because they are for the good of the public.
"Political power, then, I take to be a right of making laws, with penalties of death, and consequently all less penalties for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the commonwealth from foreign injury, and all this only for the public good."
Locke also states in his second treatise that all men are originally in a state of nature. This means that man in this original state is bound by the laws of nature, but he is otherwise able to live, act, and dispose of his possessions as he sees fit.
"To understand political power aright, and derive it from its original, we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of Nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man."