John Locke's Second Treatise of Government

(1690)

Chapter 1:	Introduction	Chapter 11:	Of the Extent of the Legislative Power
Chapter 2:	Of the State of Nature	Chapter 12:	Of the Legislative, Executive, and Federative Power of the Commonwealth
Chapter 3:	Of the State of War	Chapter 13:	Of the Subordination of the Powers of the Commonwealth
Chapter 4:	Of Slavery	Chapter 14:	Of Prerogative
Chapter 5:	Of Property	Chapter 15:	Of Paternal, Political, and Despotical Power, Considered Together
Chapter 6:	Of Paternal Power	Chapter 16:	Of Conquest
Chapter 7:	Of Political or Civil Society	Chapter 17:	Of Usurpation
Chapter 8:	Of the Beginning of Political Societies	Chapter 18:	Of Tyranny
Chapter 9:	Of the Ends of Political Society and Government	Chapter 19:	Of the Dissolution of Government
Chapter 10:	Of the Forms of a Common-wealth

John Locke (1632-1704) was an English empricist philospoher. However valid (or invalid) his empirical philosophy may be, there's no arguing that his ideas have had a profound impact on America The most famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

is based on the concepts he introduces and discusses in this document. Thus, this treatise is generally considered to be one of the major philosophical foundations of American thought.