This essay was originally written for my Intellectual Heritage 52 class. John Locke was an English writer and philosopher of the Enlightenment. He is credited with the creation of the social contract theory of government in which a group of people willingly give up some of their rights in order to function as a society with specific laws. He was also instrumental in the development of the concept of natural rights, some of which include the right to life, liberty, and property. Locke's ideas had a tremendous influence on such notable documents as the United States' Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution with its accompanying Bill of Rights.
Wicca is a Neo-Pagan faith inspired by the various religions, cultures, philosophies, and mythologies that existed in Europe prior to the advent of Christianity. However, despite its conscious desire to look to the Pagan past for spiritual guidance, Wicca has also been significantly influenced by more contemporary thought. Thus, Wicca is not an accurate reconstruction of any particular ancient belief system (though in the past it has made such claims in error) , but is a modern construct that seeks to harmonize the best of both worlds, ancient Pagan and modern secular. Being a child of Western modernity, Wicca possesses an overall outlook and other traits in keeping with the Enlightenment. A number of connections can be found between Neo-Paganism and the ideas of the Enlightenment:
The anthropologist Howard Eilberg-Schwartz has noted the common features of the "ideology and rhetoric" of [Neo-]Paganism and the discourses of the Enlightenment, modernity, and postmodernity. He argues that [Neo-]Paganism arose from the intellectual programme of the Enlightenment and offers a critique of modernity that points toward postmodernity. Having noted that both [Neo-]Pagans and Enlightenment philosophers appeal to pagan antiquity and criticize Christianity and Judaism (as they understand them), he explores further similarities. Both encourage the celebration of nature, and although they view nature very differently, those differences arise from the Enlightenment itself. [. . .] Both traditions perceive divine revelation and scriptures as further abuses of power, denying human autonomy and self-worth. 1
In addition to sharing similar perspectives on the world, the Neo-Pagan religion of Wicca and the philosophies of the Enlightenment also appear to have some common ideas regarding law. This particular relationship can be demonstrated by the comparison of the writings of John Locke on the topic of laws to the principles of Wicca's main ethic, the Wiccan Rede.
Wicca has been criticized by members of other religions for its very few codified ethics. Although it also has a strong basis in its non-codified ethics, Wicca really has only one ethical doctrine which is termed the Wiccan Rede:
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfil [sic]:
An it harm none, do what ye will.
This can be expressed in more modern English as follows:
Eight words the Witches' Creed fulfil [sic]:
If it harms none, do what you will.2
The assumption that underlies these accusations is that the fewer rules of conduct a religion has, the less ethically sound it is. Conversely, in making such assertions, those individuals imply that the more legalistic, specific, and extensive a religion's laws are, the more inherently ethical a belief system is. In spite of the opinions of those who believe Wicca is less ethical than religions with more laws to govern a person's thoughts and actions, the Wiccan Rede is consistent with the concepts of the prominent Enlightenment philosopher John Locke. Within his Second Treatise of Government, Locke states that:
[L]aw, in its true notion, is not so much a limitation as the direction of a free and intelligent agent to his proper interest, and prescribes no further than is for the general good of those under that law. Could they be happier without it, the law, as a useless thing, would of itself vanish; and that ill deserves the name of confinement which hedges us in only from bogs and precipices. So that, however it may be mistaken, the end of law is not to abolish or restrain but to preserve and enlarge freedom; for in all the states of created being capable of laws, where there is no law, there is no freedom. For liberty is to be free from restraint and violence from others, which can not be where there is not law; but freedom is not, as we are told: a liberty for every man to do as he lists - for who could be free, when every other man's humor might domineer him? 3The Rede fits with Locke's beliefs about the ideal nature of law perfectly, for it is intended not to restrain the human will, but to direct it in a way as to cause no (or minimal) harm to others. In other words, it aims to prevent a person from being subjected to the violence and subjugation of another by not allowing others to cause him harm, and it also enables him to act as he wills. The very structure of the Rede complies with Locke's statement as well since it does not tell the individual what not to do (i.e. it is not primarily a limitation) , rather it is a positive incentive: do what you will, with an accompanying condition: if it harms none. Modern Wiccans find this ethical standard a strong, but simply stated one. Since the word harm in the context of the Rede is generally taken to mean not solely bodily or physical harm, but also any intrusion upon the free will of another (thus making manipulation and coercion unethical), it proves to be just as challenging to live by as the more numerous ethical laws of other religions. The Rede does not go to excess, it truly does "perscrib[e] no further than is for the general good of those under that law." In this way it also fits with Locke's theory about the true nature of laws. The Wiccan Rede rests upon the responsibility of each individual. Locke describes a proper law as that which is the Òdirection of a free and intelligent agent to his proper interest." The meaning of the word will within the Rede does not refer to an individual's idle whims, but instead refers to something akin to their "true purpose" in the spiritual sense. Taken as such, the incentive to do what you will is like Locke's belief that a law should guide each person to his proper interest.
The Wiccan Rede and the ideas of Locke share some interesting points. The Rede and Locke's perception of the ideal nature of law are intended to guide the individual rather than to restrict him, to address only what the people need in order to secure the general good of those guided by those laws, and they also serve to compel people to do those things which are truly beneficial to them. These specific affinities refer back to Neo-PaganismÕs general ideological ties to the Enlightenment.
More on the Wiccan Rede (offsite links)
The Rede in Wiccan History and Context:
The Evolution of Wiccan Ethics
The Wiccan Rede Project
Explanations of the Rede's Philosophy:
Exegesis on the Rede
Wiccan Ethics and the Wiccan Rede
What the Rede Says if You Can Read
Rede and Fluff
A Partial Analysis of the Wiccan Rede
Criticisms of the Rede as an Ethical Standard:
Problems with the Rede
Uh, Didn't You Forget "Harm None?"
1) Harvey, Graham. Contemporary Paganism: Listening People, Speaking Earth. New York: New York University Press, 1997. 189 - 190.
2) Valiente, Doreen. Witchcraft for Tomorrow. Custer, WA: Phonenix Publishing Inc., 1978. 41.
3) Locke, John. "Selections from The Second Treatise of Government." Temple University Intellectual Heritage 52. 2nd edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2003. 24.
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