សាកលវិទ្យាល័យ ប៊ែលធី អន្តរជាតិ

World Wide E-Library

Book Cover

Read PDF

( 89 )
Article By JSTOR

The Anxiety of Freedom, Imagination and Individuality in Locke's Political Thought

Author

Mehta; Uday Singh

Year

1992

Publisher

Cornell University Press

Type

BOOK

Category

Biography & Autobiography

Language

English

Pages

208

ISBN

978-0-80142-756-5

Link

Last Update

28-Feb-2026

Keywords

Political Science ; Philosophy ; History

Description

The enduring appeal of liberalism lies in its commitment to the idea that human beings have a "natural" potential to live as free and equal individuals. The realization of this potential, however, is not a matter of nature, but requires that people be molded by a complex constellation of political and educational institutions. In this eloquent and provocative book, Uday Singh Mehta investigates in the major writings of John Locke the implications of this tension between individuals and the institutions that mold them. The process of molding, he demonstrates, involves an external conformity and an internal self-restraint that severely limit the scope of individuality. Mehta explores the centrality of the human imagination in Locke's thought, focusing on his obsession with the potential dangers of the cognitive realm. Underlying Locke's fears regarding the excesses of the imagination is a political anxiety concerning how to limit their potential effects. In light of Locke's views on education, Mehta concludes that the promise of liberation at the heart of liberalism is vitiated by its constraints on cognitive and political freedom.

Related

See More
Image Description

Financing Prosperity by Dealing with Debt
Image Description

In Search of the Never-Never
Image Description

The Better Obstetrics in Rural Nigeria (BORN) Study, An Impact Evaluation of the Nigerian Midwives Service Scheme

The Better Obstetrics in Rural Nigeria (BORN) Study, An Impact Evaluation of the Nigerian Midwives Service Scheme
Image Description

Exploring the C-SPAN Archives

Exploring the C-SPAN Archives
Image Description

Dickens After Dickens

Dickens After Dickens
Image Description

Assessing the Value of U.S. Army International Activities,