To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. – john locke, second treatise of government, 1690 which describes the purpose of this passage? to define political power to explain life without government to explain why people dispose of their possessions to outline the bounds of the laws of nature.