John Locke’s Politics of Moral Consensus

333 Pages·2005·1.271 MB·English

by  Greg Forster

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JohnLocke’sPoliticsofMoralConsensus
The aim of this highly original book is twofold: to explain the rec-
onciliationofreligionandpoliticsintheworkofJohnLockeandto
explore the relevance of that reconciliation for politics in our own
time.
Confrontedwithdeepsocialdivisionsoverultimatebeliefs,Locke
sought to unite society in a single liberal community. Reason could
identifydivinemorallawsthatwouldbeacceptabletomembersofall
culturalgroups,therebyjustifyingtheauthorityofgovernment.Greg
Forster demonstrates that Locke’s theory is liberal and rational but
alsomoralandreligious,providinganalternativetothetwoextremes
ofreligiousfanaticismandmoralrelativism.
ThisfreshnewaccountofLocke’sthoughtwillappealtospecial-
ists and advanced students across philosophy, political science, and
religiousstudies.
GregForsterisaseniorresearchassociateattheManhattanInstitute
forPolicyResearch.
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John Locke’s Politics of Moral Consensus
GREG FORSTER
TheManhattanInstituteforPolicyResearch
iii
  
Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown,Singapore,SãoPaulo
Cambridge University Press
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PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyCambridgeUniversityPress,NewYork
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©GregForster2005
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Thisbookisdedicatedwithloveandadmirationto
ElizabethAnnForster
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Platohasnohesitationinassertingthat
tobeaphilosopheristoloveGod.
Itimmediatelyfollowsthattheseekerafterwisdom
(whichisthemeaningof“philosopher”)
willonlyattaintohappiness
whenhehasbeguntoenjoyGod.
AugustineofHippo
TheCityofGod,BookVIII,Chapter10
IwanttoknowGod’sthoughts.
Therestaredetails.
AlbertEinstein
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Contents
Acknowledgments pageix
ListofAbbreviations xi
1 “ReasonTeachesAllMankind,WhoWillButConsultIt”:
JohnLockeandMoralConsensus 1
2 “SitDowninQuietIgnorance”:Locke’sEpistemologyof
Limits 40
3 “TheCandleoftheLord”:Locke’sRationalFaith 84
4 “TheOnlyFoundationofFaith”:ReasonableChristianity 128
5 “TheOnlyTrueTouchstoneofMoralRectitude”:The
ReligiousFoundationsofMorality 167
6 “’TisReasonabletoThinktheCauseIsNatural”:Locke’s
ReligiousEudemonism 194
7 “TheServantsofOneSovereignMaster”:Authorityand
MoralConsensus 218
8 “TheOpinionofThisorThatPhilosopherWasofNo
Authority”:LockeandUs 259
Notes 273
Bibliography 309
Index 315
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