But though this is a state of •liberty, it isn’t a state of
•licence ·in which there are no constraints on how people
behave·. A man in that state is absolutely free to dispose of
himself or his possessions, but he isn’t at liberty to destroy
himself, or even to destroy any created thing in his possession
unless something nobler than its mere preservation
is at stake. The state of nature is governed by a law that
creates obligations for everyone. And reason, which is that
law, teaches anyone who takes the trouble to consult it, that
because we are all equal and independent, no-one ought to
harm anyone else in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.
This is because