Supervised church and religious toleration in Hume

Hartl, Péter (2027) Supervised church and religious toleration in Hume. HUME STUDIES. ISSN 0319-7336 (In Press)

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Abstract

This paper offers a rational reconstruction of Hume’s conception of an established church supervised by the government as a proposed solution to religious intolerance and the abuse of clerical power. Drawing on the model of the Anglican church, Hume approved of government intervention in the selection of clergy members, their remuneration as public employees, the nationalization of church property, and potentially the subjection of church doctrine to governmental authorization. Drawing on Conti’s analysis of toleration, I argue that Hume assigned no intrinsic value to individual religious freedom and did not share the classical liberal principle of the separation of church and state. Rather, his position is pragmatic and utilitarian. I also highlight Hume’s positive remarks on the potential social benefits of an established church. Additionally, I examine the essay Idea of a Perfect Commonwealth to examine Hume’s apparent position on how a statecontrolled church can be reconciled with a free society. There is a tension in the Humean view: monarchy, with its strong central power, can establish a supervised church; however, it thereby creates the conditions for the abuse of governmental power. By contrast, in the decentralized republic apparently preferred by Hume the government is more accountable to citizens, yet in the absence of a strong central authority, the conduct of churches cannot be so easily regulated.

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