In chapter 6 of Understanding John Locke, Professor Houlgate discusses Locke's conception of conjugal society. Locke is careful to tell his readers that conjugal society is not the same as legal marriage because the latter notion implies political or civil society, while the former implies the state of nature. In this section, Locke makes the astonishing recommendation (in the 17th century) that there may come the time when husband and wife separate, after the children leave home. Locke sees no reason why in the state of nature that they should not be able to do this since their coming together in the first place was a voluntary contract.