On Government

洛克The Commercial Press · ChinaApr 2026

Rating 4.3
Word count
188K words
Chapters
33
ISBN
9787100016834

Tags

Politics Civil LibertyPolitical PhilosophyPower RestraintModern PoliticsManagement FunctionsClassic WorkNatural RightsIntellectual EnlightenmentLegal ThoughtSocial Contract

Summary

It is the most important work of political theory by the seventeenth-century English thinker Locke. Its basic aim is to provide foundational answers to questions urgently requiring resolution at the time, such as the functions of government and the relationship between government and society and between government and citizens. He holds that life, liberty, and private property are sacred and inviolable natural rights; that to protect the natural rights people enjoy under natural law, they establish government through a social contract; and that when government betrays the people, the people have the right to reconstitute a new government. These ideas became the intellectual pillars of modern democratic society.

Editor's review

John Locke's Two Treatises of Government is a landmark work in political philosophy, and this edition published by the Commercial Press, with its authoritative translation and rigorous editorial annotation, has become a classic Chinese-language reader for the study of Locke's thought. The book is divided into two treatises: the First Treatise mainly refutes the then-prevailing doctrine of the divine right of kings, while the Second Treatise systematically sets out Locke's own political positions, including such core theories as natural rights, the social contract, the separation of governmental powers, and the people's right of revolution. These ideas not only provided theoretical justification for England's Glorious Revolution of 1688 but also profoundly influenced the later American Declaration of Independence and French Declaration of the Rights of Man, and they are the cornerstone of modern democratic politics and constitutional theory.

As an editor, I believe the true value of reading this book lies not only in understanding a period of history or a body of theory, but in the framework it offers for thinking about power, liberty, and order. Locke's emphasis on the rights to "life, liberty, and property" and his argument that governmental power must rest on the consent of the governed remain important benchmarks for examining real politics today. The Commercial Press edition's detailed annotations help readers understand the historical context of seventeenth-century England, yet the penetrating force of Locke's thought carries it far beyond the limits of its time. In reading, you will feel a clear, calm, and highly logical power—not inflammatory but constructive: it seeks to answer an eternal question, namely how people can live together under a polity that both safeguards individual liberty and maintains social order. For any reader who wishes to understand how modern politics works and where individual rights come from, this book is an indispensable classic.

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Reading tips

  1. It is advisable to read the "Preface" or "Introduction" first to understand the book's background and central problematic, then move on to the main text.
  2. When reading the Second Treatise, reflect in light of the political practice of modern states and try to understand the historical influence and contemporary resonance of Locke's theory.
  3. If you encounter difficulties, do not force yourself to read it all at once; use relevant auxiliary readings in the history of philosophy or political thought and digest it in sections.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.

Contents

  1. 第一章 论奴隶制与自然的自由
  2. 第二章 论父权和王权
  3. 第三章 论亚当由于为神所创造
  4. 第四章 论亚当由于神的赐予而享有
  5. 第五章 论亚当由于夏娃对他的从属
  6. 第六章 论亚当由于父亲的身份
  7. 第七章 论父权与财产权作为统治权
  8. 第八章 论亚当的最高君主统治权的
  9. 第九章 论从亚当承袭下来的君主制
  10. 第十章 论亚当的君权的继承者
  11. 第十一章 谁是这个继承人？（一）
  12. 第十一章 谁是这个继承人？（二）
  13. 第十一章 谁是这个继承人？（三）
  14. 第一章 绪 言
  15. 第二章 论自然状态
  16. 第三章 论战争状态
  17. 第四章 论奴役
  18. 第五章 论财产
  19. 第六章 论父权
  20. 第七章 论政治的或公民的社会
  21. 第八章 论政治社会的起源
  22. 第九章 论政治社会和政府的目的
  23. 第十章 论国家的形式
  24. 第十一章 论立法权的范围
  25. 第十二章 论国家的立法权、执行权
  26. 第十三章 论国家权力的统属
  27. 第十四章 论特权
  28. 第十五章 综论父权、政治权力
  29. 第十六章 论征服
  30. 第十七章 论篡夺
  31. 第十八章 论暴政
  32. 第十九章 论政府的解体（一）
  33. 第十九章 论政府的解体（二）

FAQ

Do the First and Second Treatises of Two Treatises of Government need to be read in order? Although the two treatises are thematically continuous, the Second Treatise systematically sets out Locke's own positive positions, is more theoretical, and is also more important. If time is limited or the polemical content of the First Treatise seems somewhat cumbersome, you may begin with the Second Treatise and, after grasping its main framework, return to the First Treatise, which will make its critical target clearer.
Can I understand this book without a background in philosophy or political science? It is somewhat challenging but by no means insurmountable. Locke's writing is known for being clear and plain, with relatively little obscure terminology. The Commercial Press edition usually includes annotations to aid understanding. It is advisable to slow your pace and focus on the core chain of argument (for example, from the state of nature to the social contract, and then to the formation of government and the limitation of power), without getting bogged down in every historical detail. Treating it as rigorous training in logical thinking will be more rewarding.
There are many editions of this book. What are the features of the Commercial Press edition? The Commercial Press edition in the Chinese Translation of World Academic Classics series is widely recognized in the Chinese-speaking world as an authoritative translation. Its features lie in the accuracy and rigor of the translation, and it usually includes an important editor's preface, annotations, and an index, which are extremely helpful for academic research or in-depth understanding. For serious readers, it is a reliable choice.

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About the author

洛克 Author

Locke's biography and nationality are not well documented in publicly available sources; in the Chinese reading world, he is known mainly for his works on politics and education. The library holds six of his works, the representative one being Two Treatises of Government, published in two volumes, which discusses political power, the origin of government and the legitimacy of rule, and is a classic text of lasting influence in modern political thought. Another work, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, deals with the upbringing of children and the formation of character, in a practical and concrete style that stresses the cultivation of habits and personal qualities. His writing is marked by clear reasoning and step-by-step argument, often starting from everyday experience and common sense to make abstract political and educational questions readable and thought-provoking. These works have circulated widely in the Chinese-speaking world and have had a lasting influence on the spread of political ideas and educational thinking.