The Second Treatise on Civil Government

In "The Second Treatise on Civil Government," philosopher John Locke argues for the importance of individual sovereignty and natural rights within a civil society. He posits that people are inherently equal and, in a state of nature, live free from external governance. Locke's model emphasizes that a government should exist to protect the rights and properties of its citizens, and it can be replaced if it fails to serve this purpose. This work significantly influenced the evolution of political thought during the Enlightenment.