John Shearer

14 May, 2014
Western Heritage II
Professor Rothman
The political system of the United States contains various perspectives and opinions on
topics that are considered to be important. Opinions of abortion, healthcare, gun legislation, and
marriage equality are only some of the topics that are continuously being expressed within
congress. Fortunately the government is declared as a democracy and these opinions and
perspectives are heard. Without the democracy in which we live and the different insights that
follow, a lot of controversy would arise in the United States. The results of the controversial
topics would be detrimental to our political society. Similar to the political system, controversy
also dwells within the viewpoints of religion. A non controversial answer to the question, what
is religion? , is impossible to develop because of the various perspectives that approach the
question. John Locke, Francis Bacon, and Charles Darwin each carry distinct viewpoints to this
inquiry and through these perspectives we are able to gain insight to how their responses
intersect within the society that they dwell in.
John Locke describes True Religion as a system that is not instituted in order to the
erecting of an external Pomp, nor to the obtaining of Ecclesiastical Dominion, nor to the
exercising of compulsive Force; but to the regulating of Mens Lives according to the Rules of
Vertue and Piety (page 23). He expresses that religion is not something that creates power
within the individual, but it is rather a system that maintains the life of an individual or group
and keeps it balanced via the rules that are imposed by it.
With this belief, Locke expresses that true religion within the church society is obligated to
tolerate those that hold religious beliefs that are in opposition to the church society when he
imposes Toleration to be the chief Characteristical Mark of the True Church (page 23). The
toleration that Locke believes should be cast to others of religious beliefs, but this acceptance of
other religions has its limits. Because Lock views Atheism as a belief system that contains no
religious beliefs, he develops the opinion that those that by their Atheism undermine and
destroy all Religion, can have pertinence of Religion whereupon to challenge the Privilege of a
Toleration (page 51). Locke understands atheism to be harmful to the church society and not a
religion because it does not fall within his definition of what true religion is.
Another role that Locke expresses within A Letter Concerning Toleration surrounds the
subject of the church society versus the society of the state. The toleration that Locke believes to
be vital to the True Church, does not extend to the state. The society of the state does not hold
the religious beliefs that dwell within the church society and as a result Locke believes that the
Civil Government can give no new Right to the Church to the Civil Government [and] the
church remains always as it was before, a free and voluntary society (page 31). In order to
maintain the religion of the True Church, Locke supports and develops the beginning of what
is known as separation of church and state. The religion of the church society cannot intersect
with the beliefs of the state and vice versa. In order to keep the standards and maintain the
balance of the church society, it must remain in liberation of the state. In this case Locke
describes a situation where religion and society do not overlap.
Locke determines religion to be a form of restricting man from committing acts that go
against the virtues that the church society holds sacred and beneficial to the church societys
concept of True Religion. However, this is only one viewpoint that answers the question of
what is religion? and how it crosses over into society or in some situations does not.
Bacon presents his perspective that answers the question of what religion is and what
does it intersect with in society through New Atlantis and The Great Instauration. He develops
his theory of religion as discovering the knowledge of God through the study of nature and the
creatures of God. This religious perspective mirrors that of a deist. The perspective of religion
develops from the society and its commitment to this virtue intersects into the philosophic
themes that are found within the House of Solomon because it is dedicated to the study of
Works and the Creatures of God (page 58). The role of Solomons House is vital to the political
system that exists within New Atlantis because Bacon describes it as the very eye of the
kingdom. (page 49). The deistic approach to religion is studied by philosophers within the city
allowing it to intersect into the knowledge that dwells within the society. The approach of Bacon
to religion is a vital to the society that he creates and develops the knowledge that is acquired. To
Bacon religion is the belief in something that has made itself known through nature and Gods
creatures.
According to Darwin, religion is an expression of pre-existing moral qualities as a result
of holding a form of a deity in position of higher power. In The Descent of Man, the moral
qualities expressed through Darwins theory of religion have a foundation that lies in the social
instincts (page 5). Darwin disregards religion as the source of morality and instead express that
these qualities have in all probability been acquired through natural selection (page 5). Natural
selection developed the social instincts that created moral qualities into the atmosphere of man in
the eyes of Darwin. Darwin firmly establishes the rise of moral qualities as coming from another
source other than the belief of a higher power and supports this claim when he expresses that,
The idea of a universal and beneficent Creator of the universe does not seem to arise in the
mind of man, until he has been elevated by long-continued culture (page 7). He describes that
moral qualities could not have developed from the belief in a deity because this belief came later
in the life of man. The position that Darwin takes on religion is that the moral qualities are
advanced, either directly or indirectly, much more through the effects of habit, the reasoning
powers, instruction, religion, etc (page 7). To Darwin religion develops moral qualities not the
other way around. The moral qualities of man that are a result of the development through
religion intersect with society for the benefit of not the individual but instead the overall mass.
Darwin believes that the more civilized man is more likely to To do good unto others, and he
describes this as the foundation-stone of morality (page 3). The civilized man has his moral
qualities advanced through religion, and Darwin expresses that man will commit moral deeds
because of the praise/blame that follows (page 6). Man is more likely to increase their morality
because it is pleasing to their acquired deity. Religion to Darwin is something that is man-made
and falls outside the realm of natural because man developed the theory over time.
Locke, Bacon, and Darwin develop an answer to the question what is religion? and
each is at different points of the spectrum. This difference as to what religion is crosses into the
affect that it creates in each of the societies that are expressed by each author. Locke expresses
religion as something that regulates man and keeps them balance, Bacon describes it as
discovering knowledge of God through all of creation, and finally Darwin develops religion as
the belief in a deity that advance moral qualities that arise from natural selection. The theories
that each describe provide insight to the many viewpoint to religion and they allow us to further
develop possible answers that spark so much controversy just like the opinions of the people
ignite a flame within politicians to pass a law that makes abortion illegal or equality for all walks
of life.