A Letter Concerning Toleration
by John Locke · Epistola de Tolerantia
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1689
- Form
- Political theory
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Short · 60 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendA Letter Concerning Toleration and Other WritingsLiberty Fund, 2010Mark Goldie's edition, with the later letters and related texts, is free online and cheap in print.
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Written in Latin during Locke's exile in Holland and published in English the same year, the letter argues that civil government exists only to protect life, liberty and property, and has no business enforcing religious belief, which cannot be compelled by force in any case. Churches are voluntary societies that may expel but never punish. Locke draws the line at atheists, who cannot be trusted to keep oaths, and at those whose faith binds them to a foreign power. The letter became the classic statement of religious toleration.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns A Letter Concerning Toleration are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
