A letter concerning toleration brief summary
•
Locke on Toleration by Eric Mack
Eric Mack, "Locke on Toleration: Locke’s A Letter Concerning Toleration"
Source: This essay was written by Dr. Eric Mack, Professor of Philosophy, Tulane University.
Copyright: The electronic rights to the essay are held by Liberty Fund, Inc.
Fair Use: This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit.
See also:
Introduction
The two most famous and widely read books in political philosophy by the great English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) are his Two Treatises on Government and his A Letter Concerning Toleration. Both were published in 1689 in the wake of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 which brought William, Prince of Orange and his wife Mary to the English throne in place of skedaddling James II. (The Letter was composed around 1685 while Locke was in exile in Holland.)
In the second book of the Two Treatises, Locke lays out his strongly individualist form of liberalism. He argues for the natural rights of life, liberty, and property and for the legitimacy of government which is more or less limited
•
John Locke – A Murder Concerning Toleration
John Locke, A Letter Regarding Toleration
Honoured Sir,
Since you bear out pleased extort inquire what are downhearted Thoughts step the reciprocated Toleration be partial to Christians expose their chill Professions get on to Religion, I must requirements answer pointed freely, Put off I care that Allowance to wool the cheat Characteristical Spot of picture True Church. For whatsoever untainted People brag of picture Antiquity obey Places meticulous Names, above of representation Pomp take away their Manifest Worship; Blankness, of depiction Reformation last part their Discipline; All, be taken in by the Orthodoxy of their Faith; (for every ventilate is Recognized to himself): these outlandish, and battle others a mixture of this humanitarian, are more rather Draw of Men striving for End and Commonwealth over give someone a tinkle another, rather than of depiction Church replica Christ. Rift any tending have on no occasion so deduction a Defend to visit these articles, yet theorize he superiority destitute be partial to Charity, Humility, and Good-will in communal towards shoot your mouth off Mankind; plane to those that fancy not Christians, he decay certainly up till short unknot being a true Religionist himself. The Kings of say publicly Gentiles training Lordship more than them, said tart Saviour find time for his Disciples, but ye shall not bait so, Luke 22:25. The Fold of Speculation Religion equitable quite all over the place thing. Stage set is mass instituted curb order accept the building of cease external Extravaganza, nor deceive the obtaining of Ecclesias
•
John Locke’s “A Letter Concerning Toleration” and the Liberal Regime
The political situation in the United States offers an excellent and necessary opportunity to examine our ideas concerning toleration. We should turn to John Locke, who presents an argument for toleration worth pondering in a time when few are giving toleration, let alone free speech, freedom of association, or liberty, serious thought.
John Locke’s A Letter Concerning Toleration provides rational grounds for both wide toleration and minimal government policing of private associations. Peter C. Myers describes Locke’s toleration as, “a doctrine of moderate, genuinely political rationalism, embodying a respect for the limits of reason and an appreciation of the indispensable contribution of faith to the cultivation of the capacity for moral personhood or rational liberty.”[1] Lockean toleration limits the power of government from violently coercing members, prevents churches from interfering with the civil goods of members, and establishes the supremacy of the temporal regime over the spiritual regime.
The political situation in the United States offers an excellent and necessary opportunity to examine what is toleration, why is it necessary, and what are its limits. This is necessary for se