Communities of Liberty

Abstract

Here the presentation of the role of Christianity in Kierkegaard’s thought is deepened with regard to the way that Augustine’s philosophy sets up an understanding of community related to thought about free will and constraint. Augustinian thought on these matters feeds into the modern discussions of liberty, law, and state power. These considerations are carried on in a discussion of how political thinkers have understood liberty to operate in ancient and modern states, and that has been continued in recent discussions of republican political thought. The discussion of Kierkegaard’s opposition to a national church is deepened with regard to his views on the state and recent discussions of the nature of political judgement.