Second Treatise of Government

John Locke · English
or any other case, he is answerable for it to the rest of mankind.

Sect. 14. It is often asked as a mighty objection, where are, or ever
were there any men in such a state of nature? To which it may suffice as
an answer at present, that since all princes and rulers of independent
governments all through the world, are in a state of nature, it is plain
the world never was, nor ever will be, without numbers of men in that
state. I have named all governors of independent communities, whether
they are, or are not, in league with others: for it is not every compact
that puts an end to the state of nature between men, but only this one
of agreeing together mutually to enter into one community, and make one
body politic; other promises, and compacts, men may make one with
another, and yet still be in the state of nature. The promises and
bargains for truck, &c. between the two men in the desert island,
mentioned by Garcilasso de la Vega, in his history of Peru; or between a
Swiss and an Indian, in the woods of America, are binding to them,
though they are perfectly in a state of nature, in reference to one
another: for truth and keeping of faith belongs to men, as men, and not
as members of society.

Sect. 15. To those that say, there were never any men in the state of
nature, I will not only oppose the authority of the judicious Hooker,
Eccl. Pol. lib. i. sect. 10, where he says,

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     The laws which have been hitherto mentioned, i.e. the laws of
     nature, do bind men absolutely, even as they are men, although they
     have never any settled fellowship, never any solemn agreement
     amongst themselves what to do, or not to do: but forasmuch as we
     are not by ourselves sufficient to furnish ourselves with competent
     store of things, needful for such a life as our nature doth desire,
     a life fit for the dignity of man; therefore to supply those
     defects and imperfections which are in us, as living single and
     solely by ourselves, we are naturally induced to seek communion and
     fellowship with others: this was the cause of men’s uniting
     themselves at first in politic societies.


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But I moreover affirm, that all men are naturally in that state, and
remain so, till by their own consents they make themselves members of
some politic society; and I doubt not in the sequel of this discourse,
to make it very clear.




CHAPTER. III.

OF THE STATE OF WAR.