John Locke: The Philosopher as Christian Virtuoso

by Victor Nuovo

Overview

Early modern Europe was the birthplace of the modern secular outlook. During the seventeenth century nature and human society came to be regarded in purely naturalistic, empirical ways, and religion was made an object of critical historical study. John Locke was a central figure in all these events. This study of his philosophical thought shows that these changes did not happen smoothly or without many conflicts of belief: Locke, in the role of Christian Virtuoso, endeavoured to resolve them. He was an experimental natural philosopher, a proponent of the so-called 'new philosophy', a variety of atomism that emerged in early modern Europe. But he was also a practising Christian, and he professed confidence that the two vocations were not only compatible, but mutually sustaining. He aspired, without compromising his empirical stance, to unite the two vocations in a single philosophical endeavour with the aim of producing a system of Christian philosophy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192520807
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	08/24/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	598 KB

About the Author

Victor Nuovo is Charles A. Dana Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Middlebury College, Vermont, and Senior Research Fellow at Harris Manchester College, Oxford. He taught at Middlebury College from 1962 to 1994. He is the editor John Locke: Writings on Religion (2002) and of the Clarendon Edition of Locke's Vindications of the Reasonableness of Christianity (2012), both published by OUP.

Table of Contents

Introduction
I. Christian Virtuosity and the Crisis of Atheism
1. Francis Bacon and the Origin of Christian Virtuosity
2. Robert Boyle, Christian Virtuoso
3. Epicurus, Lucretius, and the Crisis of Atheism
II. The Philosophy of a Christian Virtuoso
4. The Origin of Locke's Essay
5. The Philosophy of a Christian Virtuoso I: The New Countenance of Logic
6. The Philosophy of a Christian Virtuoso II: Physics
7. The Philosophy of a Christian Virtuoso III: Ethics
8. The Theology of a Christian Virtuoso
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"Nuovo's new book makes a number of important contributions to Locke scholarship. But to my mind, one of the most important is to bring these difficult but very important questions into crystal clear focus. And while some readers might disagree with the answers he gives, it is clear that in the course of giving them he has provided us with a book of great value." — Patrick J. Connolly , Locke Studies

"Nuovo's interpretation sheds new light on these well-known aspects of Locke's doctrine. ... Requiring familiarity with Locke's major and minor works, this volume serves well as a guide to establishing important connections between Locke's works ... Recommended." — T. L. Lott, CHOICE

"Victor Nuovo's book is the fruit of years of careful and thorough study of Locke's theological writings. This book is the culmination of his prior substantial work on the theological and religious dimension of Locke's thought. ... In the end, what makes Nuovo's book an excellent read is seeing how theological themes animate Locke's works in a way that illuminates the meaning and nature of the texts themselves, but that also demonstrates how these texts are continuous with one another within the broader framework of Locke's intellectual pursuits as a Christian virtuoso. Nuovo's book is essential reading for Locke scholars and highly recommended for those interested in the relationship between science and religion in the history of philosophy." — Elliot Rossiter, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

From the Publisher