John Locke: Justice and the Social Compact
The last generation of Lockean scholarship has witnessed a radical reappraisal of the traditional interpretation of Locke as a secular political thinker, a defender of individualism, and a champion of the natural right of private property. The new picture of Locke which has emerged through these mor...
| Published in: | Journal of law and religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
1992
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| In: |
Journal of law and religion
Year: 1992, Volume: 9, Issue: 2, Pages: 347-371 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The last generation of Lockean scholarship has witnessed a radical reappraisal of the traditional interpretation of Locke as a secular political thinker, a defender of individualism, and a champion of the natural right of private property. The new picture of Locke which has emerged through these more recent studies is the result of an attempt to interpret his various writings in their historical context. The appearance of John Dunn's The Political Thought of John Locke in 1969 marked a critical turning-point in the evolution of the historical approach to Lockean studies. Building upon the work of Von Leyden, Laslett, and Abrams, Dunn sought to interpret Locke in terms of the latter's own intentions and self-understanding. The single most important key to a recovery of Locke's own intentionality, Dunn argued, was a recognition of the "centrality" of his underlying religious commitments to his thought as a whole.Since the appearance of Dunn's essay, the fundamental significance of Locke's religious beliefs for his moral and political thought has been generally acknowledged. Assuming the validity of this hypothesis, Locke's rationalism must now be seen within the framework of his religious convictions. Locke attempted to resolve the tension between the two in terms of the law of nature; but, for him, moral obligation remained ultimately dependent upon religious faith in God as Creator and upon an understanding of humanity as God's workmanship. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-3088 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of law and religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/1051205 |