Description
John Locke (1632-1704), one of the great philosophers, is probably best known for his contributions to political thought. In this outstanding volume, Professor Eric Mack of Tulane University explains Locke’s philosophical position, placing it in the tumultuous political and religious context of 17th century England. For Locke, entering into political society did not involve giving up one’s natural rights, but rather transferring to governmental authority the job of protecting those rights. In this rigorous critical analysis, Mack argues that Locke provides an impressive – if not decisive – philosophical case for the view that individuals have natural rights to life, liberty and property, despite the existence or actions of any political authority.
Table of Contents
Series Introduction
Series Editor’s Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I: Intellectual Biography
Chapter 1. The Historical and Ideological Context of Locke’s Political Philosophy
1. The Aims of This Work
2. A Century of Ideological and Political Conflict
3.The Political Authoritarianism of Robert Filmer
4.The Political Authoritarianism of Thomas Hobbes
Part II: Critical Exposition
Chapter 2. Natural Freedom, Natural Law, and Natural Rights
1. Perfect Freedom
2. The Inborn Constitution Program versus Divine Voluntarism
3. The Rational Pursuit of Happiness, Moral Equality, and the Reciprocity Argument
4. The Workmanship of God, the False Presumption, and the Like Reason Arguments
5. Reason, Motivation, and Compliance with the Law of Nature
Chapter 3. More State of Nature Rights
1. The Right to Act as Executor of the Law of Nature
2. The Earth as Common to all Mankind
3. Rights over Permissibly Appropriated Objects
4. The Provisos and their Satisfaction in the Pre-Monetary Phase
5. Money and the Satisfaction of the Provisos in the Commercial Phase
6 The Enough and As Good Proviso and the Poor Law
Chapter 4. From the State of Nature to the State
1. The Inconveniences of the State of Nature and the Resigning Up of Rights
2. Majoritarianism – Radically Constrained
3. The Doctrine of Consent
Chapter 5. Conquest, Resistance, and Dissolution
1. Conquest and Usurpation
2. Tyranny and Dissolution
3. Political Society as the Agent of Resistance
4. Inescapable Private Judgment
Chapter 6. Locke on Toleration
1. The Lockean State and Religious Liberty
2. Further Considerations against the Magistrate’s Authority in Religious Matters
3. Locke versus Proast
Part III: Reception and Contemporary Relevance
Chapter 7. The Reception and Philosophical Legacy of Locke’s Political Philosophy
1. The Reception of Locke’s Political Thought
2. Individualism and Rights
3. The Role and Character of Rights
4. Property Rights and Prosperity
5. Consent and State Legitimacy
Bibliography
Index
Author(s)
Eric Mack,
Eric Mack is Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University, USA, and the author of numerous articles in scholarly journals on libertarian philosophy.
John Meadowcroft, Dr Meadowcroft is Lecturer in Public Policy at King's College London and the author of The Ethics of the Market (Palgrave, 2005) and co-author of Rescuing Social Capital from Social Democracy (Institute of Economic Affairs, 2007).
Reviews
"The volumes in this timely series comprise the most comprehensive body of material on conservative and libertarian thought yet published in a single project devoted to the subject. The series will prove an indispensable tool not only for those concerned with the history of political thought but also for those who confront the challenging task of constructing a viable contemporary conservative identity. Professor Meadowcroft had a difficult editorial task, to which he has responded with a judicious choice of thinkers and topics." --Noel O'Sullivan, Professor of Political Philosophy, the University of Hull, UK.
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