Rethinking Locke: How Historical Toleration Shaped Today’s Liberal Establishment
An essay argues that John Locke’s original ideas on tolerance supported an established church, a view that underlies modern liberal institutions such as universities.
The article examines John Locke’s 1689 Letter on toleration, revealing that its radical English preface was written by William Popple, not Locke, and that Locke’s original Latin work advocated a modest, state-supported form of religious tolerance within an established church. It highlights how European nations still fund recognized religions, contrasting this with the American myth of strict separation. The author connects Locke’s approach to the modern liberal establishment that pervades universities, law, journalism and the arts, where credentialed elites promote a narrow version of tolerance and diversity.
Critics from both the political right and left attack this cultural order, which the essay describes as a contemporary incarnation of Lockean establishment. The piece also notes recent conservative attempts to create alternative campus institutions. Ultimately, it suggests that understanding Locke’s true stance helps explain current debates over liberalism’s role in society.
Why it matters
It shows how historical ideas about tolerance influence today’s liberal institutions and political debates.
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