The basis of social and political philosophy for generations, these two works laid the foundation of the modern democratic state in England and abroad. The Second Treatise of Government, a systematic account of the foundations of political obligation, fulfills two objectives: it refutes the concept of the monarchy's divine right and establishes a theory reconciling civil liberties with political order. Locke's Letter Concerning Toleration, arguing for a broad acceptance of alternative religious convictions, is a corollary of his theory of the nature of civil society. Both are essential reading for students of philosophy, history, and political science.