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Style
Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Chapter 12: Of the Legislative, Executive, and Federative Power of the Common-wealth
Explanation and Analysis:
Locke writes his Second Treatise with a careful, reasoned tone, but he is not without passion—although this is a work of political theory, Locke’s sentiments come through in the book in occasional moments of something like snark. As in Chapter 12:
This therefore contains the power of war and peace, leagues and alliances, and all the transactions, with all persons and communities without the common-wealth, and may be called federative, if any one pleases. So the thing be understood, I am in different as to the name.
Locke is clear about what he finds important to discuss about politics and government, and equally clear about what feels beside the point—and he is quick to suggests that the reader follow his example. Locke's Second Treatise is meant to invite the reader onto Locke's side of the political philosophy debate that was raging in the 17th century, and dismissals like the one above capture the urgency with which Locke makes his case: by the time of his writing, a philosophy of government that espoused the inherent autonomy and equality of all human beings was actively under attack by a series of influential political philosophers who believed in the absolute power of a monarch to rule a nation. Locke's work is therefore an impassioned defense of his personal beliefs, and maintains an appropriately impassioned tone.
