Locke and Hobbes: Cause of Religious Toleration Essay

Historically, Locke’s treatment of toleration was one riddled with religious change, religious turmoil, and political changes that were shaped largely by religious tensions. This was a time when religion, specifically the Christian Church, became fractioned and led to widespread war and death in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Locke’s Letter on Toleration promoted separation of church and state, arguing that each institution has legitimacy and power in certain areas. The state exists to protect people’s interests, and can use force to protect these interests. However, the state will not be able to coerce its people to believe in a certain religion. In Leviathan, Hobbes provides ideas that support Locke’s toleration of religion. Hobbes belief in the state of nature, state of war, and covenants helps to paint a clearer picture of a world without religious intoleration. Locke’s plea for tolerations is one of religious toleration in general but more specifically toleration among Christians. Locke speaks out against Christians whom â€Å"deprive (men) of their estates, maim them with corporal punishments, starve and torment them in noisome prisons, and in the end even take away their lives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Letter p.24). This type of intolerance is itself intolerable because it violates many mandates that should characterize a true Christian. The mandates of charity and meekness are violated, and those who have committed these aggressive and violent actions against others are in themselves hypocritical. These people are usually careless about their own virtues, imposing on others something they don’t practice. According to Locke, instead of looking into others moral salvation, they should practice looking into their own moral salvations as well as the salvations of family and friends. These same people are spending time and effort on trivial things like doctrinal matters and ceremonial preferences. Locke urges that one should not worry so much about matters that, on the surface are nice and intricate, but â€Å"exceed(s) the capacity of ordinary understandings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Letter p. 24). Instead of wasting time on these futile activities, one should actively try to better oneself. Separation of church and state is an important premise that buttresses his argument throughout the letter. It is a separation of civil versus religious authority and who has power of what domain. Locke argues that civil government has certain responsibilities for its citizens, which include preserving and advancing the civil interests, well-being and life of its citizens. Locke defines the one who wields civil authority as a magistrate and it is the magistrate who is enjoined to tolerate any religious doctrine, provided that these doctrines do not violate rights or disrupt the peace. Locke is intolerable of violations of rights of citizens and crime, or anything that disrupts the peace. Individuals do not have the power and position to respond and punish the criminals. That task is left to the magistrate. The magistrate has the ability to enforce laws through force but his coercive power must be kept out of religious matters, in so long as the religious matters do not hinder citizens’ rights and their peace. Locke believes that in religious matters, true belief in a religion requires more then the coercive power to make one believe. He argues if people are forced to believe in a religion against their will, it will not be as strong and effective unless the person consciously makes his own effort to believe. The ability for the magistrate to impose its power on its people is something Hobbes believes is a requirement and duty of a civil government. Men have an inclination towards peace, which is why men build commonwealths. Men want to get out of this state of war in favor of peace. Therefore, men come together in a commonwealth to make a covenant with every other man to establish peace and order. This sovereign now has the authority to enforce civil laws. This is a necessity because men by themselves cannot externally judge conflicts and will be naturally inclined to certain biases. By agreeing to this covenant, the people bestow upon a man or group of men power over sovereign. This covenant also holds responsibility for the people because they are the ones who gave power to the magistrate. To actually ensure peace, Hobbes says that a sovereign of this power is necessary. The question of the individual’s coercive power is another argument in favor of religious toleration. â€Å"No private Person has any Right, in any manner, to prejudice another Person in his Civil Enjoyments, because he is of another Church or Religion† (Letter p. 31). Tolerance brings about respect for the autonomy of the other. Since religious beliefs are freely chosen, there is no room for coercion to be a useful end because coercion and freedom cannot coexist in religious matters. Skepticism is another way religious believers can tolerate others holding different religions. Every religious person must tolerate one another because it would be foolish to believe that one person can have all the truths to the world. Similarly, Hobbes supports this argument through the state of nature. Having the freedom to choose ones religion is from the fact that individually, we are all equal. Hobbes believes that people are equal in strength of body and manifest of mind. There are differences, obviously, but Hobbes argues that these differences do not amount to much. We are fundamentally equal because we all have the ability to kill one another, whether it is through force or deceit. This constant threat of war between man and man is an important reason why men try to constantly seek peace. This state of nature provides us the liberty to our own self-governing because in the state of nature, there is no authority over man. Since man has no authority over him in the state of nature, naturally it would mean that man has no authority over another man. However, Hobbes continues that this natural condition of mankind is decidedly undesirable and should be avoided. From the natural state of man the desire for a stable government arises. Men are naturally equal but Hobbes believes self-preservation can only be had by constantly trying to acquire new property, or power. Power is the man’s means to some future good and the acquisition of more power is a constant cycle. Concerning the question of religious power, religious authorities also do not have the power for any coercive actions. Since religious authorities do not have the power to change someone who is not willing, they must respect and tolerate other religious churches or societies, even if there is disagreement with certain doctrines. Locke’s reasoning for the toleration of other churches stems from the belief of orthodoxy of the church. Every church believes that it is the Orthodox Church but Locke argues that people can never know which is the true Orthodox Church. However, he goes on to say that the true Church is the one that practices the idea of toleration. Despite Locke’s adamant stance on toleration, Locke does discuss certain beliefs that should not be tolerated. Locke specifically targets atheism because he believes that men should enter into some religious society because God should be publically worshipped. To Locke, atheists are the weak bones to a society because covenants and promises have no power over atheists. This causes problems within society because covenants and promises are the bonds of human society. Similarly, Locke also considers Catholics intolerable because of the political threat they represent. Catholic’s pledge allegiance to a foreign king. Locke views this as a problem because it brings into question who the Catholic pledges his loyalty to, the foreign king or his homeland king. Locke says that a person should be under the rightful king and not a foreign king. This means that any foreign jurisdiction in one’s country and any influence from the Vatican State is not acceptable. Locke also mentions odd religious practices, such as human sacrifice, as intolerable. The magistrate should make a conscious effort to not tolerate such practices because it could hurt society as a whole. Just because something is a religious matter should not dictate the legality of the practice. Hobbes would probably agree that atheists would not be tolerable under the condition that covenants and promises are not kept because they hold no power over atheists. Hobbes First Law of Nature is that human beings always seek a state of peace because it is the most advantageous to their survival. The Second Law of Nature is the creation of covenants. In Hobbes’s mind, the ideal covenant would be a leviathan government that would make and regulate laws very effectively. The Third Law of Nature is derived from the second, which states that it is necessary for men to perform their covenants. From these three laws, as stated earlier, men create a commonwealth to ensure peace. If covenants hold no power over atheists, the commonwealth and essentially peace is destroyed. Hobbes is adamant that to fortify this social contract, the members of the contract need steps to prevent others from breaching it. The Third Law of Nature creates a society where peace is established, but if a citizen is not held under contract, the political disruptions are more likely to occur. Locke’s primary rationale for toleration in the individual is the self-governing of the other. In Christina writing, loving ones neighbors is a key element in a Christian’s salvation. Locke emphasizes that one should only care for one’s own salvation rather than worrying about his neighbors or others religious teachings. By practicing toleration, one must ignore the content and be satisfied with the fact that the other has reached his conclusion autonomously. Before worrying about someone else, Locke urges that one must focus on ones own salvation because there are many instances where hypocrisy can rise by imposing ones beliefs. However, there are instances where non-intervention can be unjust because some matters are so offensive, it would be unjust to let it slide. Matters where injury or death can occur are justifiable for others to intervene. Even though this Lockean autonomy works most of the time, there are times where it would not. Locke’s reasoning for writing this letter, on the surface, seems to be from a religious perspective. However, a careful reading of the letter suggests that Locke is not interested in religious doctrines or practices. Locke finds that the religious differences are too insignificant for discussion. Although it is a letter concerning toleration of religion, this toleration is meant to benefit from a political standpoint. Reading the document with this point of view shows that Locke was writing it exclusively political in nature. Even though there was widespread religious violence and opposing opinions during the time Locke wrote the letter, it was a way for Locke to talk about the politics of society. This document was on religious toleration only because Locke viewed religion as having potential for civil disruption. This letter is a way for Locke to say what he believed was the means for maintaining peace and stability. To maintain peace and stability in a society requires sovereignty. The sovereign has the power and authority to govern its principality. Because it has the power to govern, it also gives the sovereign the right to use coercion. This does not give the right to religious institutions to use coercion because it has historically not worked in favor of the religion. The separation of church and state is therefore a way that Locke foresees peace in sovereign. Peace in sovereign is an important aspect to Hobbes’s Leviathan perspective because he views peace as the main reason we create societies. Religious toleration is therefore a tool that both Locke and Hobbes would advocate because it creates peace and unity in a sovereign.

Gay Ane Lesbian Exam Being Worked

gay and lesbian marriage i do not think the law should or shouldent be passed but i had to chose one and if they want to be happy why cant the get married. Australia currently bans recognition of same sex marriage although as of 2011 the federal labour party government officially changed its position to allow a vote on the same sex marriage despite Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s opposition to such a vote. ne main reason people are against it is because they might want a child and people think that the child will grow up in a unstable environment because studies have show that a heterosexual relationship/marriage last 20 years or longer with many wedded for life. a vast majority of homosexual relations are temporary. In 2008 a study of 390 gay and lesbian people Victorians found that 1 in 7 reported fear of violence. This fear is justified in that nearly 85 precent of respondents has been subjected to some form of homophobic violence in their life time.Homophobia is a fear of h omosexuality; some people are threatened by people who have other sexual preferences than their own. gay and lesbian marriage today i am here to talk to u about one of the dabates that the australian goverment are having the one about same sex marriage rights. i belive that the law should be accepted because people can not help who they fall in love,some spectics think that gay marriage will lead to more devorces but accoding to Divorceform. org 74% of the population gets devorced every year but that is only the heterosexual couples.

The Relationship between School and Society Assignment

The Relationship between School and Society - Assignment Example However, time took drastic turn with the passage of time, and now an overwhelming majority of the individuals study in various schools, colleges, universities, academies and other formal educational institutions, from where the individuals seek professional education and obtain certificates and degrees in order to enter into practical life as qualified and skilled persons. Wilson (2011, p. ) is of the view that the increasing emphasis upon specific knowledge and the acquisition of credentials as the pathway for young adults seeking any hope of attaining financially rewarding occupations and navigating the existing social structure has captured the attention of the parents and students alike, which has paved the way towards the popularity of learning even in the poor and underdeveloped nations of the world. My respected parents got me admitted to a well-reputed school in the city when I was four years old. That was the institution from where I learned how to read and write. Like all s chools, my institution also taught me language, literature, pure and social sciences, humanities, mathematics and other disciplines. Somehow, I developed the special aptitude for political science, history, theology, philosophy, and literature. During the beginning of my educational career, the parts of the curriculum carrying civics, history, and spiritualism captured my attraction, and I always obtained excellent grades in these disciplines. My taste did not witness any decline in these subjects; as a result, I selected these subjects for my undergraduate program. I studied Plato, Descartes, Machiavelli, Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Adam Smith, Keynes and other political economists and sociological and political science theorists. The utilitarian theory articulated by J.S. Mill and structural-functional theory by Herbert Spencer opened new avenues of wisdom and foresight to me. I keenly studied the 1930 and 1970s economic recessions and drew out the causes and consequences of the same in an analytical way. I found Marxist conflict perspective to be highly moving (Ritzer, 2007, p. 88), and I looked for developing a worker-friendly corporate environment for the future years to come. I obtained the education under the system that was close to the Jeffersonian model of education. Famous statesman and educationalist of early nineteenth century Thomas Jefferson had introduced the education system where the children gradually climb the educational ladder in the light of their age-group. Stage I consists of primary school years, which should be specified for children of the age-group between 6 to 8 years. The students belonging to the age group from 9 to 16 years should be offered the education of intermediate level at secondary school, which is Stage II of education. Stage III of education focuses on the university years, which offers higher studies to the students. Consequently, the students should complete their education gradually and in a systematic way, wh ere the level of education should be determined in the light of the mental capabilities and understandings of the students, so that they could easily comprehend with the curriculum being taught to them at schools (Miller, 1998, p. 3).  

Educational policy reform Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educational policy reform - Assignment Example This education policies undermined women contrary to their belief of upholding respect for women. Reforms made on the education sector has seen women education being overseen by the ministry of education and the educational policies support educational equality in opportunities for both women and men. The ministry is also sending women to further their education abroad which has resulted in increased number of Saudi women in leadership. This article explores the transition of women education form traditional to current reforms which promote education for women and the significant achievements this has had on the society in general (Amani, 2005). This issue contrast and compares to the educational situation in New Jersey which is my immediate environment. New Jersey has not experienced the extreme cases of discrimination against the education of women. The educational reform policies maintain that all the students should have equal access to educational facilities and resources and also provide suitable services and instruction to English Language Learners. This is provided for by the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA). To be EEOA compliance, educational institutions are required to provide adequate and timely evaluation of the learning outcomes of all English Language Learners, provide quality instruction and services and observing and recording of their academic improvement. However, a review was done on a section of the Bound Brook New Jersey School District which indicated that there were several concerns regarding integration of the English Language Learners into the schools mainstream as thus they were discriminated on the compliance issue above. While there are cases of racial segregation, there has not been any reported cases of gender segregation. In the US, the education policy had been distributive at their inception where the teachers and educational institutions were

Workers Without Health Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Workers Without Health Insurance - Essay Example It will finally draw a conclusive recommendation on how workers can be provided with medical covers to enhance their heath care service provision. The primary source of health insurance covers in the United States is the employer-sponsored insurance -ESI1. ESI offers job-based health benefits which are in some cases subsidized by the federal government by exempting employer tax on health insurance premiums. In certain companies there are private employer sponsored which are voluntary and depends on the company's financial ability to meet the health care requirement for its entire workforce. Since not all employers offer insurance covers to its employees, not all workers have insurance policies and consequently, their children and spouses do not have them. In most cases, people who are not insured are either workers or family members of the workers. Previous research has shown that most American citizens obtain their health insurances through their employment agencies. However, some working environments do not find it economically possible to offer health insurance services to its workers. These working environments include; those who earn low wages, short job tenures, working part-time or those with low incomes2. In 2003, the Kaiser commission of inquiry reported that of the 124 million workers who were uninsured, 80% of them were self employed and this can be explained by the fact that these group of people do not get access to group insurance which is somehow cheaper. Another group of uninsured workers who formed the remaining percentage were workers with non-working spouses. Causes of medical disenfranchisement People become medically disenfranchised because they lack proper medical insurance cover that they can depend on whenever they are not feeling well. Poor health care in America today has been blamed on lack of worker insurance policies and programs leading to high costs of medical services. As many people continue to work as casuals and part-time jobs, in addition to low wages and salaries, they are not able to meet the medical requirements needed not only by themselves but also by their families. This has led to increased number of people who operate without medical and insurance covers for a better part of their lives. In fact, research has shown that three out five working Americans are not covered with insurance covers. This trend has in the past sparked a lot of condemnation from all quarters especially from government critics. Pressure is therefore building on employers to ensure that all its employees are insured. However, with increased incidences of political unwillingness, societal diversity and stagnating economies, it is no longer economically visible to offer all people the medical insurance cover they need. The burden has been therefore left to the workers to seek private insurance covers, which are very expensive to them.

Internal Resistance of a Battery Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internal Resistance of a Battery - Lab Report Example The rheostat’s resistance is then varied a number of times, taking the current and voltage readings for each turn. The equation V = ÃŽ µ - Ir, is then used to determine the internal resistance of the battery, where V is the recorded total voltage drop across the battery, ÃŽ µ, the electromotive force or the total voltage put out by the battery, I the current flowing through the circuit and r the required internal resistance of the household battery. ÃŽ µ, V, and I, are measured and then the equation V = ÃŽ µ – Ir used to determine r which is then compared to accepted values. A possible limitation to this experiment that may lead to inaccurate results is the resistance of the connecting wires that is never taken to account. A new 9-volt battery was obtained and the voltage it could put out measured and recorded. Next, the slide on the rheostat was put to the extreme right—its maximum level--and its resistance measured and recorded. The circuit was then connected as shown in figure two below, keeping the switch open and taping its base to the table for stability (Internal Resistance of a Battery, p 2). The high current (20A) input of the ammeter was used, setting it up to the appropriate scale. Everything was now set for measurement taking. In quick moves, the switch was closed, both the voltage and current readings recorded and then the switch opened immediately. A few seconds were then to pass before the next measurements were taken (Internal Resistance of a Battery, p 2). The rheostat was the disconnected and its resistance decreased by sliding it a few centimetres to the left. This resistance was then measured and recorded. The circuit was then reconnected and the above procedure of taking measurements repeated. Next, the rheostat was disconnected and moved a few more centimetres to the left. As in the previous steps, the resistance was measured and recorded, the circuit reconnected and the current and voltage measurements repeated as

What were the political and intellectual outlooks of the civilizations Essay

What were the political and intellectual outlooks of the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia How did geography influence the religious outlooks of these two civilizations - Essay Example Like Mesopotamia, Egypt was also dominated by a major river: the Nile, which was central to its life (Pollock, 1999). According to Trigger (2003), city-states in Mesopotamia, after successfully resisting incoporation into larger political systems for more than fifteen hundred years, were not transformed into territorial states, but absorbed into regional kingdoms. Unlike a hegemonic city-state system, the â€Å"Inka† empire was organized as a series of provinces ruled by the Inka upper class. Governorships were not allowed to become hereditary. Provinces were governed from administrative centres which were new foundations. Local rulers who in the central highlands were mostly descended from the hereditary chiefs, administered largely rural populations. Their executive powers were subject to the approval of the provincial governor. To reduce the power of conquered groups, they were sent as colonists to far-off regions of the Inka state, and replaced by reliable settlers from older parts of the kingdom (Patterson, 1987). In contrast to the situation in Mesopotamia, where urban development played a prominent role in shaping the civilization, most people in ancient Egypt continued to live in small, largely self-sufficient villages. Although the reasons for this are complex and include fundamental differences in political organization (Trigger, 2003), the greater uniformity and stability of natural resources and correspondingly lower risks associated with agriculture in Egypt were significant (Wenke, 1989). In Mesopotamia, political entities were most often small-scale competitive polities rather than centralized regional states (Pollock, 1999). Politically centralized territorial entities were the exception rather than the rule, and most were of short duration. Contrastingly, in Egypt, after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around the end of the fourth millennium, it remained a politically centralized state comprising of a great geographical