Toleration and exclusions
Read the Letter by confronting principles with historical limits.
An original introduction. This guide accompanies the work; it is neither the complete text nor a translation.
Civil power
Public coercion cannot directly produce sincere religious conviction. Locate the passage in its historical context and distinguish Locke’s claim from your contemporary examples.
Church
A religious community is presented as an association distinct from civil government. Compare the argument with an objection and examine which assumptions remain implicit.
Exclusions
Restrictions placed on certain groups must be examined alongside the theory of toleration. Specify limits and affected people before generalizing the text’s conclusion.
Identify beneficiaries and excluded groups before comparing the argument with contemporary rights.
Your turn to think.
- Why does coercion not produce sincere belief?
- Which groups remain outside this toleration?
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