IV.

Political Theories

Locke’s political ideas were formed through theoretical reflection, practical engagement, and religious commitment. Although he believed that God had designed human beings and given them reason, and thus the ability to know natural laws, he rejected theories of his day that claimed a divine origin for human government as such, or for certain rules in particular. In his Two Treatises of Government (1690), Locke attacked the divine right theory put forward by the Anglican theologian Robert Filmer. Instead, he argued that sovereignty resides in the people, and that government gains its authority only from the transfer of individual rights by means of a contract. In developing this social contract argument, Locke in some ways drew upon, but also criticized, the views of Thomas Hobbes. For Locke, individuals must consent to government if it is to be legitimate; their consent can be explicit or tacit.

Because government exists only to further the security and liberty of the people, revolution can be justified if the people collectively come to find the government intolerably oppressive. This aspect of Locke’s theory arguably derives from his involvement in Shaftesbury’s plots against the accession of a new Catholic ruler. So long as government remains legitimate it must protect individual rights and control its own power through a system of checks and balances. Locke was also a powerful advocate of religious toleration by the state. However, he rejected toleration of atheists, whom he believed had no grounds for loyalty or truthfulness, and of Catholics, whom he believed were loyal to an alien power, the pope.

Locke’s influence on modern philosophy has been profound. His empiricism continues to influence many thinkers, and his political theory arguably influenced the American War of Independence and has inspired many liberals since. Among his other works are Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) and The Reasonableness of Christianity (1695).