Pizhuhish nāmah-i intiqādī-i mutūn va barnāmah hā-yi ̒ulūm-i insāni (Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences)

Critical analysis of the book "Locke, God, Equality: Foundations of John Locke’s political thought"

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research

Authors

fardin moradkhani 1
Hamid Yahyavi 2

1 Associate Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

10.30465/crtls.2025.50325.2887
Abstract
Jeremy Waldron’s God, Locke, and Equality offers a fresh reading of John Locke’s political philosophy, emphasizing its theological foundations. Waldron argues that equality in Locke’s thought is not merely a legal or political concept but a theological principle, comprehensible only through the lens of humanity’s relationship with God. This paper situates Waldron’s work within ongoing interpretive debates on Locke, showing that his analysis occupies a central position in the long-standing contest between secular and theological readings of Locke. Waldron’s primary concern in revisiting Locke’s political thought is to establish a foundation for the idea of “fundamental equality,” a foundation that, in his view, contemporary secular approaches in political philosophy fail to justify. According to Waldron, Locke could articulate this principle only on the basis of Christian belief and reference to God. The findings of this study indicate that, despite Waldron’s efforts, many enduring puzzles in Locke scholarship remain unresolved. Nonetheless, Waldron’s interpretive insight in highlighting the theological roots of Locke’s thought, and his creative use of this insight to illuminate the problem of fundamental equality, significantly enhances our understanding of the issue. Waldron’s analysis, despite criticisms that it reduces Locke’s liberalism to Protestant theology, underscores a critical point: any comprehensive understanding of Locke’s thought requires simultaneous attention to both its religious and political foundations.

Keywords

Locke
equality
Waldron
political theology
Christianity

Subjects

Pizhuhish nāmah-i intiqādī-i mutūn va barnāmah hā-yi ̒ulūm-i insāni (Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 28 September 2025

  • Receive Date 04 July 2025
  • Revise Date 19 September 2025
  • Accept Date 24 September 2025

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