Preview

Hobbes Vs Locke Compare And Contrast

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
519 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hobbes Vs Locke Compare And Contrast
Hobbes vs Locke
During the Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason of the 17th and 18th century in Europe, two great thinkers, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, promoted their conflicting views on government. They stood off firmly as rivals as one respectively desired a society in which a monarch was present while the other insisted that people were capable of governing themselves. Their philosophies also contradicted each other on the nature of man. Their ideals on politics have always been of large debate, but both men and their ideas have played huge roles in the current aspects of government in certain areas.
Hobbes had absolutely no faith in humanity as he criticized humans on their natural acts of wickedness and selfishness. He once wrote
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Thomas Hobbes And John Locke Similarities
    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Thomas Hobbes And John Locke Similarities

    Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were very different Enlightenment philosophers.They had many similarities and differences on what form of government they should form for the people.For example Thomas Hobbes believed in a powerful government,and John Locke believed in a limited government where the government should protect the people’s natural rights. Both of these philosophers were seventeen century enlightenment thinkers.Thomas Hobbes and John Locke had very different points of view on how the government should be formed for the people.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing The Theories Of Thomas Hobbes And Jean Jacques Rousseau
    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparing The Theories Of Thomas Hobbes And Jean Jacques Rousseau

    For the past many years, people have been trying to figure out the relationship between the government and nature of man. The theories of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau about the connection between nature of man and the government have been debated for many years. These three philosophers have remarkably influenced the way our system works today. Although each theory had its flaws and merits, Jean Jacques Rousseau’s theory is superior in comparison to Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast Locke And Hobbes
    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Locke And Hobbes

    The lack of an impartial judge is a defining characteristic of the state of nature, and this lack of a common judge can lead to confusion and violence therefore leading to the state of war. The state of nature and the state of war are not two separate concepts but the state of nature has the fundamental problem and civil government is the solution for the problems of the state of nature.…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Locke Vs Hobbes
    • 184 Words
    • 1 Page

    Locke Vs Hobbes

    Throughout history, people have debated about what government is, and what is the purpose of it. Should the government dictate people's lives and tell them what to do? Should the government be permissive and just allow the people take care of themselves and not step in? Should there be an in between? Two very influential philosophers from the 17th century Enlightenment, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, are preeminent influences on how people see what a government is and what role it should take. They both were renowned influences in many governments, even to this day. Locke took the side that people are naturally good, and that they should rule themselves. While on the other hand, Hobbes said that humans are naturally brutish and evil,…

    • 184 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hobbes Vs Machiavelli
    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page

    Hobbes Vs Machiavelli

    Lastly, both Hobbes and Machiavelli agree in their opinion of man what is one that is very negative. In the novel The Prince, Machiavelli states that men are “ungrateful, fickle, deceptive, and deceiving, avoiders of danger, eager to gain” (Machiavelli < 1542 > 2006). Similarly, in the novel Leviathan, Hobbes states how the life of a man is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes < 1651 > 2009). This shows how both Machiavelli and Hobbes see men and their lives as very negative aspects, but differ in what there perspectives are of it. Machiavelli explains how men are unreliable and not worth trusting when Hobbes is explaining how life naturally is terrible and without sovereignty, life and man are nothing.…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Locke and Hobbes
    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page

    Locke and Hobbes

    How does the founders' view of power affect the framers' reactions to John Locke? According to Locke, how does man enter the political society and what is the purpose of that society? What obligations does the government have in the civil society? What obligation does the individual have? How do Hobbes and Locke differ? Do you think Americans would agree with Locke? You may read the first paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence to assist you. What evidence do you have to support your view?…

    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast Hobbes And John Locke
    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Hobbes And John Locke

    Many philosophers, such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, have discussed over the years if he human race is naturally good or evil. People than choice their side of the argument, one side believing that humans have a basically good nature that is corrupted by society, while the other side believes that humans have a bad nature that is kept in check by society. As John Locke believes that the human race is good, it is reasonable to accept as true because we are born neutral, with free will, and fear of a higher power.…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lord Of The Flies Hobbes Vs Locke
    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lord Of The Flies Hobbes Vs Locke

    Hobbes, on the contrary, believes that we have a very selfish nature and often do what is in our best interest, regardless of what we are told is right. Their philosophies can help to explain the novel by revealing the reasoning for some of the behaviors that the boys reveal and the actions that they demonstrate.…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did John Locke's Influence On The Enlightenment
    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did John Locke's Influence On The Enlightenment

    The Enlightenment was a period in Europe in which intellect and individualism were valued and focused on more than the traditional ideals and beliefs. At the tail end of the scientific revolution there was an emphasis on reason, tolerance, and progress. Now, there was a new emphasis on these ideas and even the churches’ authority was questioned. One thinker during this time was the English philosopher John Locke, who offered new ways to construct a constitutional government. He believed that a contract between rulers and ruled was created by the work and creativity of man rather than being gifted from divine beings.…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Hobbes vs. Locke
    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Hobbes vs. Locke

    Locke, John, and C. B. Macpherson. Second Treatise of Government. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 1980. N. pag. Print.…

    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke
    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke

    Hobbes was a philosopher who saw humans as a purely physical being. He believed that all human actions can be explained through the motions in our bodies. According to Hobbes all feelings and emotions are a result of phantasms, our perception of the objects around us. This perception is a motion within our bodies and each person perceives these phantasms differently causing love, hate, desires, and what we think is good and bad. Every feeling that comes from ones perspective has a physical feeling, such as desires can cause certain pains and it is only human nature that one does whatever is needed in order to relieve those pains. Hobbes therefore sees humans as being able, by their state of nature, to take or do whatever necessary for themselves even if it shows no regard for the other people their actions may harm. This inevitably would end up in a fight for survival or “the war of all against all”. In order to prevent such a war from happening Hobbes thought it necessary that the individuals must promise each other to give up their right to govern themselves to the sovereign for the mutual benefit of the people. This sovereign then has absolute power to rule with no questions asked and not to only act on behalf of the citizens but to completely embody their will. In summation, Hobbes believed that society could only exist under power of the sovereign and that life in the state of nature is violent, short and brutish, as all men act on self-interest.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Hobbes vs Locke
    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hobbes vs Locke

    Both Hobbes and Locke shared similarities within their political theories; however their theories also had some major differences. Both men were responding to the crisis of the 17th century and they were highly influenced by the scientific revolution. Hobbes and Locke rejected all previous theories regarding human nature. They used the same methodology, and the men accepted an atomistic view of society. They believed that individuals were rational and were motivated by self-interest. Hobbes and Locke traced their theories from a state of nature to the social contract. They agreed that the legitimacy of the government rested on the consent of the governed. Together, both men rejected legitimate political authorities such as Divine Right of Kings, brute force, historical tradition, and feudal contracts. Both political philosophers offered interesting arguments pertaining to government, human nature, and the state of nature.…

    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Locke Vs Hobbes Research Paper
    • 165 Words
    • 1 Page

    Locke Vs Hobbes Research Paper

    I believe that Hobbes is right that people are just self centered and rude. If everyone were good then why would we have prisons?We have prisons because there is always somebody doing something bad.Everything bad that has ever happened was due to the person being selfish.…

    • 165 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Radical Changes During The Age Of The Enlightenment
    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Radical Changes During The Age Of The Enlightenment

    During the age of the Enlightenment, radical changes were made in the human’s understandings of the world. Unconventional philosophers abandoned traditional ideas of religion and emphasized logical reasoning and individualism. The philosophers influenced many aspects of life with these original concepts. Major philosophers, such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Montesquieu, proposed their innovative ideas on the nature of mankind and the government. They held similar, but also very different opinions about the effects of man’s behavior on the society.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Locke's Second Practice Of Government Essay
    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Locke's Second Practice Of Government Essay

    In an effort to reimagine politics and diverge from the fanciful teachings of the ancients, three optimistic realists emerged to begin a philosophical revolution. The garden of modern politics was begun by Machiavelli who cleared the land of the stones of antiquated virtue and tilled the soil. Then came Hobbes, who added the fertilizer of enlightened self-interest, the water of reason, and the seeds of human nature. Finally came Locke who, upon seeing that Hobbes’ seeds had grown into weeds of despotic monarchy, ripped them from the ground and replaced them with the seeds of liberalism. What Locke viewed as weeds, Hobbes viewed as the form of government most conducive to stability and peace. Locke’s Second Treatise of Government provides an argument against absolute hereditary monarchies while exalting liberalism as the paradigm of politics.…

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics