I examine the beginning of John Locke’s liberalism in Two Tracts on Government and Questions Concerning the Laws of Nature. I argue that the priority of reason over revelation and the priority of public security over individual freedom reflect the rational and realistic basis of Locke’s liberalism. The problem of liberalism, viz. public security instead of individual freedom is the first principle of liberalism, is manifest in Two Tracts on Government. Locke also proposes a system of law to solve the political problem of Christianity, viz. controversies about Christian doctrines result in religious persecutions and wars. Moreover, he follows Hobbes to be a liberal by lowering the end of politics to the pursuit of public security and establishing secular absolute state on the individual natural right of self-preservation. Furthermore, Locke lays the skeptical but rational foundation of his liberalism in Questions Concerning the Laws of Nature by questioning the Christian tradition of natural law and being optimistic about the advancement of science through the right use of reason. Although Locke’s new doctrines of natural theology and natural law are controversial and unsatisfactory, he propose them to appeal to Christian audience and realize the end of enlightenment. While the law of nature is ineffective, the law of fashion in the form of custom is the real ruler of humankind. Locke seeks to transforming his doctrine of natural law to be the new law of fashion characterized by universal rational morality and politics. I also argue for interpreting Locke’s liberalism in the context of global political thought, especially the clash between Confucian China and Christian Europe in the Age of Discovery. Although Confucianism differs from liberalism in whether right is prior to duty, Confucian China still offers a model of secular enlightenment and religious toleration to Locke. Understanding Locke’s liberalism in global political thought also enables us to rethink the intellectual interaction between Confucianism and liberalism.
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