Consent in Locke
Author: Run-new Su
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
Locke’s consent theory of political obligation is puzzling and confusing in that its application is either too narrow in the case of express consent or too broad in the case of tacit consent. Hence the contesting interpretations between the scholars of Locke. I contend that the two notions of consent can be retained but be used in different occasions. For Locke, express consent is applied mainly to those who initiate or join into a political community, while tacit consent implies both a possible connotation of gratitude principle through the residence – benefits – obedience mechanism on the one hand, and voluntarism as far as freedom and ways of expressing dissent are available, on the other. Thus, tacit consent in Locke can ground political obligation without eliminating individual free will and autonomy.