B3017th

__Second Treatise of Civil Government__ The Second Treatise of Civil Government was created by John Locke, ancient English Philosopher, in 1690. Locke maintained that people set up civil governments to protect life, liberty and property. A government that oversteps its proper function of protecting these rights becomes a tyranny. If the government does become tyrannical, then the people have the natural right to rebel. This type of rebellion can easily be avoided as long as the government carefully respects the rights of citizens and if people zealously defend their liberty. Locke recognized the similarity between economic and political freedom and thus linked economic liberty and private property with political freedom; his defense of property included a justification for a narrow franchise.

McKay, John P. __History of Western society__. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.