1664

Contents:

Essays on the law of nature

Valedictory speech as Censor of Moral Philosophy (ca. December)

Essays on the law of nature

Originally written ca. 1663-1664; a later copy probably dates from 1664. See   description under 1663.

Valedictory speech as Censor of Moral Philosophy   [c. December 1664]

Locations:

Bodleian Library, MS. Locke e. 6, ff. 3-6  [partial draft]
Bodleian Library, MS. Locke f. 31, ff. 120-138  [copy of the full text by an unknown amanuensis]]

Description:   At the end of his term as Censor of Moral Philosophy at Christ Church in December 1664, Locke gave a valedictory or “funeral” address to the College, a traditional ceremony known as “burying the censor”. The address, like the lectures that preceded it (see Essays on the law of nature, is in the form of a disputation, in this case on whether happiness is possible in this life. The fact that Locke argued for the negative is an indication of the mocking nature of the speech. Following the argument, Locke (in a self-mocking tone) takes his leave of the various members of the College.

A partial draft of the speech was included in the same notebook that contained drafts of five of the Essays on the law of nature [Bodleian Library, MS. Locke e. 6]. However, this draft does not follow that of the essays; rather it was written at the opposite (reversed) end of the notebook. The text of the speech is headed “An secundum legem naturae quisquam potest esse faelix in hac vita? Negatur” [“Can anyone by the law of nature be happy in this life? No”].

A copy of the full text of the speech by an unknown amanuensis was included in the notebook containing a copy of the Essays [Bodleian Library, MS. Locke f. 31]; in this case, it immediately follows the Essays. The text is written on the rectos of each leaf, leaving the opposite versos free for additions and corrections. The speech is headed “Oratio censoria funebris 1664” [“Censor’s valedictory speech 1664”], followed by a slightly-revised version of the thesis: “An secundum naturam quisquam potest esse faelix in hac vita? Negatur” [“Can anyone by nature be happy in this life? No”].

Publications:

1. Essays on the law of nature / John Locke ; the Latin text with a translation, introduction and notes, together with transcripts of Locke’s shorthand in his journal for 1676, edited by W. von Leyden. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1954. – pages 217-243. [Locke #944]. – Uses MS. Locke f. 31 as copy-text.
2. Disputations on the law of nature / John Locke ; edited by Hannah Dawson and Richard Ellis. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, in preparation. – (The Clarendon edition of the works of John Locke)

Discussions:   Von Leyden, “Introduction” to publication #1 above, pages 11-12, 218-219.