The last five chapters of John Locke’s 2d Treatise on Government: Of Civil Government (XV–XIX) are an extended argument that the rule of tyrants is illegitimate and that the people are justified in overthrowing tyrants. The three chapters right before that (XII–XIV) lay out some of the things a ruler can appropriately do, providing a contrast to tyranny. The titles of my blog posts on these chapters provide a good outline of John Locke’s argument here. Take a look.

Chapter XII: Of the Legislative, Executive, and Federative Power of the Commonwealth

• John Locke on Why the Executive and Legislative Power Should Be Separated, but the Executive and Foreign Policy Power Should Be Combined

Chapter XIII: Of the Subordination of the Powers of the Commonwealth

• John Locke on the Supremacy of the People, the Supremacy of the Legislature over the Executive, and the Power of the Executive to Deal with Rotten Boroughs

Chapter XIV: Of Prerogative

• Getting Away with Doing Good

Chapter XV: Of Paternal, Political, and Despotical Power, considered together

• On Despotism

Chapter XVI: Of Conquest

• An Unjust War Cannot Win Any True Right to Rule

• Even a Just War Cannot Make It Right to Govern without the Consent of the Governed or to Dispossess Those in Conquered Territory

Chapter XVII: Of Usurpation

• Usurpation is a Kind of Domestic Conquest, with this Difference, that an Usurper Can Never Have Right on His Side

Chapter XVIII: Of Tyranny

• How to Recognize a Tyrant

• How to Resist Tyrants without Causing Anarchy

Chapter XIX: Of the Dissolution of Government

• The Obligation to Obey the Law Does Not Apply to Laws Promulgated by Invaders and Usurpers Who Do Not Have the Consent of the Governed

• John Locke on Monarchs (Or Presidents) Who Destroy a Constitution

• The People Have the Right to Erect a New Government When the Previous Government Betrays the Trust It Has Been Given

• John Locke: Bad Rulers May Be Removed

• Governments Long Established Should Not—and to a Good Approximation Will Not—Be Changed for Light and Transient Causes

• John Locke: If Rebellion is a Sin, It is a Sin Committed Most Often by Those in Power

• John Locke on Peace through Surrender to Tyranny

• Even Monarchists Admit there are Some Circumstances When It is Appropriate to Rise Up Against a King

• John Locke: The People are the Judge of the Rulers

Links to posts on the earlier chapters of John Locke's 2d Treatise can be found here:

Posts on Chapters I–III:  John Locke's State of Nature and State of War 

Posts on Chapters IV–V:  On the Achilles Heel of John Locke's Second Treatise: Slavery and Land Ownership

Posts on Chapters VI–VII : John Locke Against Natural Hierarchy

Posts on Chapters VIII–XI: John Locke's Argument for Limited Government