John Locke and Tolerable Diversity

• In Event: New Directions in the Study of Locke

Abstract

The growth of populism, a rising tide of nationalism, and heightened anxiety over immigration and its impact on demographic composition are all hallmarks of our day. Immigration policy in the United States has been hotly debated in the past few years; France is still grappling with how to properly position Islam within its secular, republican culture. Liberal nationalist scholars warn that increased religious and ethnic diversity, as a result of immigration, may damage national identity and decrease social trust.
It is against this backdrop one turns to John Locke (1632-1704) for possible inspiration. His scheme of tolerance did not only include different sects of Christianity but also people of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds: native Americans, Jews, and Muslims. This paper invites readers to think along with the exchanges between John Locke and Jonas Proast, to see what Locke addresses and fails to address in his seemingly progressive and encompassing argument for tolerance and endenization of religious minorities. By failing to provide a substantial response to Proast, the racial and religious minorities in the Lockean imagined community are placed in marginal positions: Diversity does not come naturally with inclusion. Seeing through the Proastian lens, one sees more clearly the challenges and puzzles that foreigners, strangers, outsiders posit for the simple pronouncement “In God We Trust,” and vice versa.

Author

• Jinxue Chen, Northwestern University