John Locke's Politics of Moral Consensus

by Greg Forster

• ISBN13: 9780521842181
• ISBN10: 0521842182
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-02-07
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The aim of this highly original book is twofold: to explain the reconciliation of religion and politics in the work of John Locke, and to explore the relevance of that reconciliation for politics in our own time. Confronted with deep social divisions over ultimate beliefs Locke sought to unite society in a single liberal community. Reason could identify divine moral laws that would be acceptable to members of all cultural groups, thereby justifying the authority of government. Greg Forster demonstrates that Locke's theory is liberal and rational but also moral and religious, providing an alternative to the two extremes of religious fanaticism and moral relativism. This fresh new account of Locke's thought will appeal to specialists and advanced students across philosophy, political science, and religious studies.

Author Biography

Greg Forster is a senior research associate at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
List of Abbreviations	xi
1 "Reason Teaches All Mankind, Who Will But Consult It": John Locke and Moral Consensus	1	(39)
2 "Sit Down in Quiet Ignorance": Locke's Epistemology of Limits	40	(44)
3 "The Candle of the Lord": Locke's Rational Faith	84	(44)
4 "The Only Foundation of Faith": Reasonable Christianity	128	(39)
5 "The Only True Touchstone of Moral Rectitude": The Religious Foundations of Morality	167	(27)
6 "'Tis Reasonable to Think the Cause Is Natural": Locke's Religious Eudemonism	194	(24)
7 "The Servants of One Sovereign Master": Authority and Moral Consensus	218	(41)
8 "The Opinion of This or That Philosopher Was of No Authority": Locke and Us	259	(14)
Notes	273	(36)
Bibliography	309	(6)
Index	315