Difference Between Locke And Hobbes

Megan Stark
May 18th, 2016
Professor McDonnell
History 101

“Hobbes and Locke.”

Both Thomas Hobbes and John Locke began their political philosophies talking about how humans were living with the government in a "State of Nature,” Both agreed that government is needed to be brought in as a "Social Contract.” They just had different ideas on how and what kind of government that should be. There are five key concepts to understanding the difference between Hobbs and Locke ideas. These concepts were (a) fundamental human nature, (b) what the State of Nature is like, (c) what Natural Rights and Law are, (d) the place of God in the State of Nature, and (e) the place of property in
Both Hobbs and Locke have very different options. Hobbs has a negative view of human nature. Hobbs said that the idea of “state of nature” of man kind was like the English Revolution; he believed that humans were brutal and nasty. With Hobbs views on the state of nature, you can see that he was not for the revolution and that he side with the king. Hobbs believed that the king could not be overthrown because the king had absolute power. With Locke, this differed because he that the state of nature was good. Locke also believed that the state would protect the natural right of people, which were the rights to life, liberty, and property this considered moral rights. With this idea of the state of nature, you can see that Locke did not see the need for government. Locke believed that if the government was not going to do as much for the people as they did for themselves. Locke concluded that the best government is one where the monarch has little to no power and parlement has the rest of the power. This means that if they don’t represent their people right, the government can be overthrown because of it. Both Hobbs and Locke begin from the same main ideas, but come to radically different
Locke talks about the separation of church and state that has now become the philosophy of most countries everywhere. However, Hobbs does not believe that there is any room for the separation of church and state. As you can see from the quote “Temporal and spiritual government, are but two words, brought into the world, to make men see double, and mistake their lawful sovereign." The meaning behind the book Leviathan is that it must encompass everything in its domain that includes religion. Hobbs is ok with there being no religion if that is what is a need but for Locke, there must be a space set aside mad just for religion where the government can not touch it. Locke whole idea is based off what God has given to, and this is why it a human right that they have religious freedom to be ale to give thank and worship the God that gave humans this right. This is why political should not interfere with religious practice in any way. Where as Hobbes takes religion as a social force seriously. Hobbs believes that religion has little to no use in the path to salvation. Hobbs believes that religion is a threat to the prime objective of what his political theory, which is social