AUTHORITY AND COERCION IN LOCKE

An externalist reading of Locke’s account of political authority and obligation closes a gap between his political theory and his moral theory. In this view, the magistrate’s authoritative directives create binding duties. Contrary to the internalist interpretation, however, my externalist reading holds that the reasons motivating subjects to obey the law are not linked to the magistrate’s authority. Instead, the relevant motivations are sanctions for noncompliance introduced by the law. Accordingly, I argue that legal coercion plays a central role in Locke’s political theory, while the internalist view holds that it mainly addresses the recalcitrant.