Locke, Money, and Religious Enthusiasm

Abstract

John Locke’s engagement with the problem of religious enthusiasm was long lasting, resulting in a chapter dedicated to the topic added to the fourth edition of the Essay concerning Human Understanding. The plan for the chapter originated in discussions with friends in the mid-1690s when Locke was also closely engaged with the crisis in English currency which resulted in the Great Recoinage (1696-97). Locke’s work on these unrelated topics has never been considered as springing from linked concerns. This paper explores the possibility that Locke’s “solution” to the ungrounded claims of enthusiasts has important parallels with his solution to the currency crisis and the urgent need to restore a devalued standard. The very distinctiveness of the two topics calls our attention to a shared argumentative strategy on Locke’s part. In both instances (coinage and enthusiasm) Locke appeals to an external rule, measure or standard to regulate a difficult predicament. His arguments about money and enthusiasm are particularly instructive, and by attending to them we not only gain a perspective on this larger commitments but also grasp more readily the biases that motivate his position-taking in the midst of contemporary controversies. Ultimately we can begin to draw together important strands of Locke’s analysis of language and politics with his view of religion. 

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Edizione digitale destinata alla vendita pubblicata da Editrice Morcelliana (link esterno), © 2019 Editrice Morcelliana.
Edizione cartacea destinata alla vendita pubblicata da Editrice Morcelliana (ISSN 2239-6098; ISBN 978-88-372-3325-9; link esterno), © 2019 Editrice Morcelliana.