Abstract or Introduction
The critical argument in "A Letter Concerning Toleration" is the doctrine of defending the rights of the individual from the state and the church. Locke explains that the function of a state is to defend the rights that a person has over another but not establishing and defending a state religion. The exploitation of the outward force of coercion is legitimate as long as the action enforces the rights of individuals away from interference. People have a choice to belong to any religion and uphold contradictory beliefs as long as such actions do not infringe on the rights of other persons. Locke defends human conscience from control by the state and church by arguing that matters surrounding human belief cannot be physically coerced since they demand autonomous reasoning.
- Quote paper
- Anonymous, Locke’s Argument for Tolerance. A Critical Reflection, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/535625
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