Audiobook · read by volunteers
À Letter Concerning Toleration
John Locke (1632–1704)
Read by D.E. Wittkower · 2 chapters · 2 h 28
About the book
Should a government use force to make people believe the same things? John Locke says no, and in this famous letter he explains why. Written in exile and published in 1689, the Letter Concerning Toleration argues that the state has no authority over the salvation of souls, that churches are voluntary societies and that persecution is both unjust and ineffective. His clear, logical reasoning helped to shape modern ideas of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In two parts and about two and a half hours, in the English translation by William Popple, read by LibriVox volunteers, this foundational text speaks directly to modern debates. Its calm arguments and its insistence on liberty of conscience have made it one of the most influential short texts in the history of political thought. Anyone interested in the roots of modern freedoms will find it essential.
Introduction
John Locke (1632 to 1704) is one of the founders of modern political thought. His Two Treatises of Government and his Essay Concerning Human Understanding shaped the ideas of liberty, consent and knowledge for generations. The Letter Concerning Toleration belongs to the same period of intellectual ferment, and it was written during his years in the Netherlands, where he had sought refuge from the political troubles in England.
The letter was first published in Latin in 1689, and it was almost immediately translated into English by William Popple (1638 to 1708), a merchant and a friend of Locke. It is addressed, in the form of a personal letter, to an unnamed gentleman, and it sets out a series of arguments about the proper limits of government. Locke's main claim is that the civil magistrate is concerned with civil goods, such as life, liberty and property, and that care for the soul is a matter for individuals and their churches.
Not everything in the argument would satisfy a modern reader. Locke excludes certain groups from his plea for tolerance, and historians still discuss the reasons. Even so, the text played a decisive part in later debates in Europe and America about freedom of conscience.
This recording is divided into two parts and lasts about two and a half hours. It is read by volunteers of LibriVox. A clear and compact work, it is an excellent introduction to Locke and to the history of toleration. Locke's reasoning is direct and often elegant, relying on analogy and common sense more than on technical terms. A listener with no background in philosophy will be able to follow the steps of the argument and judge them. The letter has been cited by readers from the Enlightenment to the present day.
Public domain
John Locke died in 1704: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text