The Lockean Commonwealth

Ross J. Corbett

Description

The tension between executive prerogative in times of emergency and the importance of maintaining and preserving the rule of law has been a perennial concern for modern democratic states. The Lockean Commonwealth reappraises John Locke's contribution to this timely topic. By paying careful attention to the arguments put forward in Locke's famous Two Treatises on Government, Ross J. Corbett advances a new interpretation of Locke's political agenda, one that argues that the interplay between "prerogative" and "legislative supremacy" formed the axis around which turned the practical component of Locke's political theory. With a firm grasp of Locke's historical context, Corbett is able to show how Locke's attempts to balance these competing interests provides insight, not only into the development of the liberal democratic state, but also into questions that trouble us to this day and into questions of political life more generally.
Acknowledgments
Notes Regarding the Texts

Introduction

1. The Condition of Man without Government

The Law of Nature
Inconveniences of the State of Nature

2. The Rule of Law

Individual Consent and Majority Rule
The Principle of Majority Rule
The Limits of Consent and Compulsion

3. Prerogative and the Limits of Legislative Supremacy

The Need for Prerogative
Redefi ning Prerogative
Beyond Political Society
Beyond Obligation, Consent, and the Social Compact
Prerogative and Absolute Monarchy

4. Resistance, Revolution, and the Limits of Politics

Resistance and the Right of Self-Preservation
Locke’s Doctrine of Revolution
Diffi culties Regarding Revolution

5. The Lockean Commonwealth

An Outlook, Not a Constitution

6. Justifying Secular Politics

Locke and Religious Toleration
Justifying the Commonwealth

Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 02 juillet 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438427942
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

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he Lockean Commonwealt

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he Lockean Commonwealt

Ross J. Corbett



S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y o f N e w Yo r k P r e s s

Cover art:Te Battle of La Hogue, by Benjamin West (c. 1778, oil on canvas), Andrew W. Mellon Fund; image courtesy of te Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Wasington.

Publised by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2009 State University of New York

All rigts reserved

Printed in te United States of America

No part of tis book may be used or reproduced in any manner watsoever witout written permission. No part of tis book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mecanical, potocopying, recording, or oterwise witout te prior permission in writing of te publiser.

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Corbett, Ross J., 1977–  he Lockean commonwealt / Ross J. Corbett.  p. cm.  Includes bibliograpical references and index.  ISBN 978-1-4384-2791-1 (ardcover : alk. paper)  1. Locke, Jon, 1632–1704. Two treatises of government  JC153.L853.C37 2009  320—dc22  2008051868

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I. Title.

Acknowledgments

Notes Regarding te Texts

Introduction

Contents

Capter 1. he Condition of Man witout Government he Law of Nature Inconveniences of te State of Nature he Rule of Reason

Capter 2. he Rule of Law Individual Consent and Majority Rule he Principle of Majority Rule he Limits of Consent and Compulsion he Meaning and Limits of te Rule of Law

Capter 3. Prerogative and te Limits of Legislative Supremacy he Need for Prerogative Redefining Prerogative Beyond Political Society Beyond Obligation, Consent, and te Social Compact Prerogative and Absolute Monarcy Judging te Exercise of Prerogative

Capter 4. Resistance, Revolution, and te Limits of Politics Resistance and te Rigt of Self-Preservation Locke’s Doctrine of Revolution Difficulties Regarding Revolution Heaven and a Stable Commonwealt

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17 19 27 33

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61 64 70 77 82 87 91

95 97 99 105 110

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ontents

Capter 5. he Lockean Commonwealt An Outlook, Not a Constitution he People and Popular Pilosopy

Capter 6. Justifying Secular Politics Locke and Religious Toleration Justifying te Commonwealt

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliograpy

Index

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147 149 165

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Acknowledgments

 is book as benefitted from te insigtful comments of a number T of people over te years. I am especially grateful to homas Pangle, Clifford Orwin, and Melissa Williams, wo seperded it from a confused and tentative idea about James Madison and homas Jefferson, and only incidentally about Jon Locke, into a passable dissertation. I would also like to tank H. Don Forbes and Natan Tarcov for teir furter comments and suggestions on my dissertation. My entire dissertation committee as given me wonderful support and encouragement in revising and augmenting te ideas tat are in tis book, and in prodding me to publis it in a timely man- ner. Peter Josepson and Benjamin Kleinerman provided invaluable elp in tigtening some of te arguments I make and in persuading me tat I did not need to write a book twice as long as tis one. Wile writing tis book I received generous support from te Politi- cal heory Project at Brown University. he PTP provided an intellectu- ally stimulating atmospere and te opportunity to teac some of te best undergraduates around, in addition to te financial resources to spend a good deal of time on researc. Its associated Political heory Worksop provided muc needed feedback on a part of tis book and in general was a source of valuable debate. I would also like to tank te Jepson Scool of Leadersip Studies at te University of Ricmond for te support it provided troug te Jablin Dissertation Award. A portion of capter 3 previously appeared as “he Extraconstitutional- ity of Lockean Prerogative,” by Ross J. Corbett,he Review of Politics 68, no. 3 (Summer 2006): 428–48, wic is reprinted wit te permission of Cambridge University Press. he cover image is from Benjamin West’she Battle of La Hogue, © 1778. Image courtesy of te Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Wasington, DC. Finally, I would like to acknowledge te support of my Mom, Dad, and two broters. One deficiency of academic freedom is tat it does not include te freedom to live were one wises.

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