# X: Of the Forms of a Commonwealth explained — Two Treatises of Government

> Chapter companion for Two Treatises of Government by John Locke.

## What happens

Locke defines the forms of government based on where the legislative power is placed: democracy, oligarchy, monarchy (hereditary or elective), and mixed forms. He clarifies that 'commonwealth' means any independent community, not just a democracy, and that the community retains the power to change the form of government when the legislative power reverts to it.

## Themes in this chapter

### Consent of the Governed

The majority's power to establish and change the form of government underscores that political authority originates from the consent of the community.

### Limited Government and Rule of Law

By tying the form of government to the placement of legislative power, Locke implies that all governments are bounded by the fundamental law of nature and the trust of the people.

## Character check-ins

### King James I

Locke references King James I's use of the word 'commonwealth' to justify his own usage.

## Key lines

> The majority having, as has been showed, upon men’s first uniting into society; the whole power of the community naturally in them, may employ all that power in making laws for the community from time to time, and executing those laws by officers of their own appointing; and then the form of the government is a perfect democracy

When the majority of a community holds all power and uses it to make and execute laws through their own chosen officials, that government is a pure democracy.

_Locke defines democracy as direct rule by the majority._

> or else may put the power of making laws into the hands of a few select men, and their heirs or successors; and then it is an oligarchy: or else into the hands of one man, and then it is a monarchy

Alternatively, the community may delegate lawmaking to a few men (oligarchy) or to a single man (monarchy).

_Locke distinguishes oligarchy and monarchy based on the number of rulers._

> By commonwealth, I must be understood all along to mean, not a democracy, or any form of government; but any independent community, which the Latines signified by the word civitas

Locke clarifies that 'commonwealth' refers to any independent political community, not specifically a democracy or any particular form of government.

_Locke adopts the Latin term 'civitas' to avoid confusion with specific government types._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/two_treatises_of_government_se/chapters/x-of-the-forms-of-a-commonwealth
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/two_treatises_of_government_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/two_treatises_of_government_se/chapters