Abstract
John Locke's non-religious arguments for tolerance are often seen as inadequate. He is criticized for: (1) failing to give reasons in support of a strict separation between the roles of church and state; and (2) wrongly insisting that the coercion of belief is irrational. I argue that once we understand Locke's arguments for tolerance within the context of his social contract framework, his non-sectarian arguments can circumvent such criticisms. Lockean arguments for tolerance are thus stronger than typically supposed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 846-865 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Political Studies |
Volume | 57 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2009 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science