Q0393
“Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in…” — John Locke (Second Treatise of Government)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Second Treatise of Government. Theme: justice.
English
Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Second Treatise of Government and files it under British Empiricism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About John Locke
John Locke (1632–1704) was the English philosopher of empiricism and liberal politics whose Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises of Government defined a century’s agenda. Associated with Shaftesbury and the Glorious Revolution settlement, he wrote on toleration, education, and money.
Interpretation
Locke is stating the constraint that makes a political community possible. Equality here is a moral claim — no one has natural authority over another — not a claim that people are alike in ability. From it he derives the limits on what anyone may do to another, and independently, the requirement that government exist to protect those same things. The list — life, health, liberty, possessions — is deliberately concrete so that the limit can be applied.
Why it matters
The structure is worth noticing: a right is stated by naming what others may not do to you. Abstract declarations of rights tend to be unenforceable; specified ones can be argued about.
Concepts in this quote
- Justice
- Justice concerns fairness, rights, desert, and the arrangement of institutions that claim to treat people as equals.
- Equality
- Equality appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat equality as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: John Locke. (n.d.). Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0393
MLA: John Locke. “Being all equal and independent, no one ought….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0393.
Chicago: John Locke. “Being all equal and independent, no one ought….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0393.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Being all equal and independent, no one ought…”?
The passage is attributed to John Locke, Second Treatise of Government. The archive attributes this English wording to Second Treatise of Government and files it under British Empiricism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does John Locke mean by justice?
Distributive, retributive, and restorative justice name different problems. Political philosophy asks what a just society owes its members and outsiders. This passage enters that discussion through justice, equality.