Against a Lockean Justification of Slavery

John Locke's Two Treatises of Government has been incredibly influential in western political theory since its publication in 1689. The text, however, is not without its controversies. In particular, Locke's seemingly contradictory statements on the institution of slavery have left generations of philosopher puzzled on how to understand Locke's view. While many philosophers hold that Locke wished to justify the practice of slavery, in this essay I will defend Locke from this charge by showing that a Lockean justification of slavery would not only be inconsistent with his own writings, but would also be entirely impractical.