By
John Locke
22. The Natural Liberty
of Man is to be free from any Superior Power on Earth, and not be under the
Will or Legislative Authority of Man, but to have only the Law of Nature for
his Rule. The Liberty of Man, in Society, is to be under no other Legislative
Power, but that established by consent, in the Common-wealth, nor but what the
Dominion of any Will, or Restraint of any Law, but what the Legislative shall
enact, according to the Trust put in it. Freedom then is not what Sir R.
F. tells us, O. A. 55 [224]. A Liberty for every one to do what he lists, to
live as he pleases, and not to be tyed by any Laws: But Freedom of Men under
Government, is, to have a standing Rule to live by, common to every one of
that Society, and made by the Legislative Power erected in it; A Liberty to
follow my own Will in all things, where the Rule prescribes not; and not to be
subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, Arbitrary Will of another Man.
As Freedom of Nature is to be under no other restraint buy the Law of
Nature.
23. This Freedom from
Absolute, Arbitrary Power, is so necessary to, and closely joined with a Man’s
Preservation, that he cannot part with it, but by what forfeits his
Preservation and Life together. For a Man, not having the Power of his own
Life, cannot, by Compact, or his own Consent, enslave himself to
any one, nor put himself under the absolute, Arbitrary Power of another, to
take away his Life, when he pleases. No body can give more Power than he has
himself; and he cannot take away his own Life, cannot give another power over
it. Indeed having, by his fault, forfeited his own Life, by some Act that
deserved Death; he, to whom he has forfeited it, may (when he has him in his
Power) delay to take it, and make use of him to his own Service, and he does
him no injury by it. For, whenever he finds the hardship of his Slavery
out-weigh the value of his Life, ‘tis in his Power, by resisting the Will of
his Master, to draw on himself the Death he desires.
24. This is the perfect
condition of Slavery, which is nothing else, but the State of War continued,
between a lawful Conqueror, and a Captive. For, f once Compact enter
between them, and make an arrangement for a limited Power on the one side, and
Obedience on the other, the State of War and Slavery ceases, as long as
the Compact endures. For, as has been said, no Man can, by agreement, pass over
to another that which hath not in himself, a Power over his own Life.