Parental Power and Critique of Monarchical Authority

Locke also discusses parental power, which he describes as the authority parents hold over their children until they can reason independently. This power is shared by both parents and is limited because it does not extend to the child’s life or possessions.

Locke criticizes the idea that kings rule as fathers, arguing that granting absolute power to rulers eliminates personal freedom. Political power, Locke insists, can only arise through the consent of the governed.