Conclusion

The textual material covered in this chapter illustrates that there is some ten­sion in Pufendorf’s account of human agency. Because human understanding is naturally free, fear and compulsion through force alone is insufficient to bring about a change of mind.

Pufendorf's moral theory presupposes some form of monotheistic natural theology as a precondition for morality and political stability. While all nor­mal adults ought to rationally acknowledge God's power and authority over them, Pufendorf's treatment of natural religion relies heavily on the idea that most individuals are not familiar with the theoretical propositions of natu­ral religion. It is impossible to directly coerce a person's beliefs; nevertheless, force is indirectly helpful as an instructional tool in bringing the multitude to appreciate God as a supreme lawgiver. Pufendorf does not promote the idea that people ought to seek moral truths independently. If people fail to recog­nize God's authority, the state, with the help of the church, may correct their miscarried natural reasoning. Even more importantly, although the sovereign ought not to be directly concerned with the internal beliefs of citizens, civil authorities must take care that people show respect to God as a minimum in their external actions.

The notion of incoercible belief plays a larger role in Pufendorf's reflection about the legitimate use of force to get people to hold genuine religious beliefs concerning revealed religion. The state and church ought not to attempt to change people's innate religious convictions by force. Pufendorf emphasizes the cognitive autonomy required for salvation. Because the essence of a true religion consists of inward convictions, attempts to change people's religious convictions by external force will always fail. Pufendorf does not oppose forced conversions on the basis that it is necessarily wrong to prevent peo­ple from finding autonomously the most convincing rational arguments to salvation. Rather, he reserves the freedom from coercion merely for those religious beliefs that are supranatural and require communion with the holy spirit. Civil and ecclesiastical authorities cannot force people to adopt beliefs that require the special assistance of the holy spirit, which people are free to accept or refuse.