Philosophers of the Enlightenment had numerous and often discordant ideas about government‚ the most notable being the contrasting social contract theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Locke believed that humans‚ in the state of nature‚ were a blank slate‚ enjoying complete equality‚ freedom‚ and independence. By surrendering some of these natural rights through a social contract‚ governments were created which would act for the benefit of the people and be controlled by the people. However‚
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John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were both social contract theorists and natural law theorists. Locke can be rightfully thanked for being one of the first people to come up with ideas that eventually became a part of Americas and Britain’s constitution. Locke believed that man was good by nature while Hobbes believed that man was bad and that society would not exist were it not for the power of the state. Locke on the other hand said the state only exists to keep the natural rights of its citizens. Thomas
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What is common in Locke‚ Hobbes and Rousseau is state of nature. In the state of nature all people are equal although they have different tallents they are equal‚ because having different tallents doesn’t prevent equality - and have same rights but in time they try to command each other and make domination upon them. Hobbes associate this desire with the effort to dispel the insecurity which is caused by equality between people. According to his opinion‚ if two people desire the same thing that
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“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
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Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both set out important arguments on the nature of government that continue to influence the way in which we think about the relationship between the governed and the government. Compare and contrast Hobbes’ and Locke’s arguments‚ with specific reference both to their reading of the “state of nature” and the kind of contract that each imagines to exist in the very concept of a governed community. Although each is making claims to a universal understanding of man‚ to what
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John Locke John Locke set a basis that all people are “born with natural rights of life‚ liberty‚ and property.” He states that the only reason a state is established is to protect those rights. Locke saw people as basically good and humane; completely different than Thomas Hobbes view as man being “brutish and selfish.” He believed that the only way a law should be passed is if it was “designed for no other end ultimately‚ but…” for the good of the people under it. Another idea was that taxes
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English philosophers Hobbes and Locke had different sets of ideas about government and people. Hobbes ideas are harsher‚ but reasonable while Locke’s ideas are moral and optimistic. As the movie‚ Lord of the flies exemplifies that even though Hobbes believed humans are born with passion and reason‚ Locke’s ideas would create a much more stable and functioning society because people have the right to life‚ liberty‚ property and to revolt against an abusive government. Locke believed that people have
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In today’s society the government is a combination of both Hobbes and Locke political views. The government merged the ideas of the two philosophers and took their best points. The government should not consist of total freedom but it also should not consist of total structure‚ there need to be a bit of both‚ a balance of both. During Locke’s argument he never factor in how the people were going deem what rights were justifiable and what right were unjust. With that being said anyone in the state
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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. After analyzing how Locke and Hobbes understand the state of nature it is evident that they share many ideas but they also show essential differences in their ideas. Hobbes regards the state of nature as a state of war‚ in which natural law is established only after a process of reasoning
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of Nature and Hobbes’ State of Nature were that they both had different outlooks on the meaning of State of War and on people’s reaction to and with government. Locke believed that State of Nature is not equivalent to State of War whereas Hobbes made it seem that a State of Nature isn’t a safe place. Hobbes descried a State of Nature to be more violent and a state that people should fear. Locke’s view was more neutral compared to Hobbes’ idea. From what I read‚ it seemed that Locke believed the State
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