John Locke and Reasonableness of Christian Belief

Olmez T.

BEYTULHIKME-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY, vol.6, no.1, pp.251-264, 2016 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 6 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2016
  • Journal Name: BEYTULHIKME-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.251-264
  • Keywords: John Locke, Christianity, reasonableness, miracles, belief, assent
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

John Locke did not apply the epistemological criteria which were determined in his Essay to the Reasonableness in which he argued reasonableness of Christian belief. Instead, he supported his arguments about authenticity of Christian revelation and being the true words of God, by miracles. His strategy of justifying the reliability of the miracles by basing it to the reliability of witness considered philosophically inconsistent and target of criticism from different aspects. As a consequence; it can be seen that, Locke opinions about the possibility of demonstration of the existence of God and knowledge about ethical propositions as certain as mathematical propositions, deviated to a kind of fideistic approach in arguing the reasonableness of Christian belief and revelation.