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

A Critical Analysis of the Book "Locke, God, Equality: Foundations of John Locke’s Political Thought"

Document Type : Research

Authors

Fardin Moradkhani 1
Hamid Yahyavi 2

1 Associate Professor in Public law, Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, 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 based on 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 the criticisms that reduce 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.

Highlights

Colman, John. (1983). John Locke’s Moral Philosophy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Cox, Richard H. (1960). Locke on War and Peace. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

De Roover, Jakob, & Balagangadhara, S. N. (2008). “John Locke, Christian Liberty, and the Predicament of Liberal Toleration.” Political Theory, 36(4), 523–555.

Dunn, John. (1982). The Political Thought of John Locke: An Historical Account of the Argument of the ‘Two Treatises of Government’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dworetz, Steven M. (1990). The Unvarnished Doctrine: Locke, Liberalism, and the American Revolution. Durham: Duke University Press.

Jolley, Nicholas. (1999). Locke: His Philosophical Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kelly, P. J. (1991). “John Locke: Authority, Conscience and Religious Toleration.” In J. Horton & S. Mendus (Eds.), John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration in Focus (pp. 133–158). London & New York: Routledge.

Laslett, Peter. (1988). Introduction to: Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Macpherson, C. B. (1951). “Locke on Capitalist Appropriation.” Western Political Quarterly, 4(4), 550–566.

Marshall, John. (1994). John Locke: Resistance, Religion and Responsibility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Miller, Robert T. (2003). “Servants of One Sovereign Master: Review of God, Locke, and Equality.” First Things, 134, 55–58.

Nozick, Robert. (2023). Anarchy, State, and Utopia. Translated by Mohsen Ranjbar. Tehran: Markaz [in Persian]

Nuovo, Victor. (2003). Review of Jeremy Waldron, God, Locke and Equality: Christian Foundations of Locke’s Political Thought. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, 2003(5).

Nuovo, Victor. (2017). John Locke: The Philosopher as Christian Virtuoso. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Parker, Kim Ian. (2004). The Biblical Politics of John Locke. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfred Laurier Press.

Pritchard, Elizabeth A. (2014). Religion in Public: Locke’s Political Theology. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Schwartzman, Joshua. (2005). “The Relevance of Locke’s Religious Arguments for Toleration.” Political Theory, 33(5), 678–705.

Stolzenberg, Nomi M., & Yaffe, Gideon. (2006). “Waldron's Locke and Locke's Waldron: A Review of Jeremy Waldron's God, Locke, and Equality.” Inquiry, 49(2), 197–221.

Strauss, Leo. (1953). Natural Right and History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Tate, John William. (2013). “Dividing Locke from God: The Limits of Theology in Locke’s Political Philosophy.” Philosophy and Social Criticism, 39(2), 131–154.

unt, B. A. (2016). “Locke on Equality.” Political Research Quarterly, 69(3), 548–559.

van Kooten, A. M. (2019). John Locke’s Political Philosophy: Sacred or Secular? (Unpublished MSc dissertation). University of Edinburgh.

Waldron, Jeremy (2000). The Philosophy of Right. Translated by Mohammad Rasekh. Nameh-ye Mofid, No. 21. [in Persian]

Waldron, Jeremy (2018). Legislation: Concepts, Theories, and Principles. Translated by Hassan Vakilian. Tehran: Negah-e Mo'aser Publishing. [in Persian]

Waldron, Jeremy (2022). God, Locke, and Equality: Christian Foundations of John Locke's Political Thought. Translated by Kaveh Hosseinzadeh. Tehran: Tarh-e No Publishing. [in Persian]

Waldron, Jeremy, Dimmock, Wai Chee, & Dan-Cohen, Meir (Eds.). (2012). Dignity, Rank, and Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Waldron, Jeremy. (2017). One Another's Equals: The Basis of Human Equality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wolterstorff, Nicholas. (1996). John Locke and the Ethics of Belief. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Zuckert, Michael. (1994). Natural Right and the New Republicanism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Zuckert, Michael. (2004). “Perhaps He Was.” The Review of Politics, 66(4), 615–639.

Zuckert, Michael. (2005). “Locke: Religion: Equality.” The Review of Politics, 67(3), 443–471.

 

Keywords

Locke
Equality
Waldron
Political Theology
Christianity

Subjects

نوزیک، رابرت (1402) بی دولتی دولت آرمان شهر. ترجمه محسن رنجبر. تهران: مرکز.
والدرون، جرمی (1397) قانونگذاری مفاهیم، نظریه‏ها و اصول. ترجمه حسن وکیلیان. تهران: نگاه معاصر.
والدرون، جرمی (1379) فلسفه حق ، ترجمه محمد راسخ ؛ نامه مفید ، شماره 21.
والدرون، جرمی (1401) خدا، لاک و برابری( مبانی مسیحی اندیشه سیاسی جان لاک) ترجمه کاوه حسین زاده، تهران: انتشارات طرح نو
 
Colman, John. (1983). John Locke’s Moral Philosophy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Cox, Richard H. (1960). Locke on War and Peace. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
De Roover, Jakob, & Balagangadhara, S. N. (2008). “John Locke, Christian Liberty, and the Predicament of Liberal Toleration.” Political Theory, 36(4), 523–555.
Dunn, John. (1982). The Political Thought of John Locke: An Historical Account of the Argument of the ‘Two Treatises of Government’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dworetz, Steven M. (1990). The Unvarnished Doctrine: Locke, Liberalism, and the American Revolution. Durham: Duke University Press.
unt, B. A. (2016). “Locke on Equality.” Political Research Quarterly, 69(3), 548–559.
Kelly, P. J. (1991). “John Locke: Authority, Conscience and Religious Toleration.” In J. Horton & S. Mendus (Eds.), John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration in Focus (pp. 133–158). London & New York: Routledge.
Laslett, Peter. (1988). Introduction to: Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Macpherson, C. B. (1951). “Locke on Capitalist Appropriation.” Western Political Quarterly, 4(4), 550–566.
Marshall, John. (1994). John Locke: Resistance, Religion and Responsibility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Miller, Robert T. (2003). “Servants of One Sovereign Master: Review of God, Locke, and Equality.” First Things, 134, 55–58.
Jolley, Nicholas. (1999). Locke: His Philosophical Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wolterstorff, Nicholas. (1996). John Locke and the Ethics of Belief. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nuovo, Victor. (2003). Review of Jeremy Waldron, God, Locke and Equality: Christian Foundations of Locke’s Political Thought. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, 2003(5).
Nuovo, Victor. (2017). John Locke: The Philosopher as Christian Virtuoso. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Parker, Kim Ian. (2004). The Biblical Politics of John Locke. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfred Laurier Press.
Pritchard, Elizabeth A. (2014). Religion in Public: Locke’s Political Theology. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Schwartzman, Joshua. (2005). “The Relevance of Locke’s Religious Arguments for Toleration.” Political Theory, 33(5), 678–705.
Stolzenberg, Nomi M., & Yaffe, Gideon. (2006). “Waldron's Locke and Locke's Waldron: A Review of Jeremy Waldron's God, Locke, and Equality.” Inquiry, 49(2), 197–221.
Strauss, Leo. (1953). Natural Right and History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Tate, John William. (2013). “Dividing Locke from God: The Limits of Theology in Locke’s Political Philosophy.” Philosophy and Social Criticism, 39(2), 131–154.
van Kooten, A. M. (2019). John Locke’s Political Philosophy: Sacred or Secular? (Unpublished MSc dissertation). University of Edinburgh.
Waldron, Jeremy, Dimmock, Wai Chee, & Dan-Cohen, Meir (Eds.). (2012). Dignity, Rank, and Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Waldron, Jeremy. (2017). One Another's Equals: The Basis of Human Equality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Zuckert, Michael. (1994). Natural Right and the New Republicanism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Zuckert, Michael. (2004). “Perhaps He Was.” The Review of Politics, 66(4), 615–639.
Zuckert, Michael. (2005). “Locke: Religion: Equality.” The Review of Politics, 67(3), 443–471.

  • Receive Date 02 February 2026
  • Revise Date 18 May 2025
  • Accept Date 21 April 2025

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