political discourse with his views of the state of nature. The state of nature‚ as defined by Locke‚ is the state that all humans are naturally in before any political authority arises. Locke’s state of nature might not be the most pleasant state that a human being would wish to be in‚ yet Locke acknowledges that even humans in the state of nature have intrinsic rights. What would another thinker on political theory‚ Thomas Hobbes‚ think about Locke’s state of nature? In Hobbes’ text on political power
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Unit 2 Study Skills – Essay Writing. “Man is born free‚ but he is everywhere in chains” Explain what Rousseau means by this with reference to Rousseau’s accounts of freedom in the state of nature and in a civil society. Alexandra Strachan Word Count: 1260 Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva in 1712‚ although his works were written in French and he was deemed a French freethinker and philosopher heavily intellectually tied to the French Revolution. In 1762 he wrote ‘The Social Contract’
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“We should give our obedience to an unaccountable sovereign […] otherwise what awaits us is a “state of nature” that closely resembles civil war- a situation of universal insecurity” (iep.utm.edu). These words express Thomas Hobbes’ version of philosophical absolutism. He believes that a world without a government yields disorder and lunacy. Hobbes‚ in his book The Leviathan (1651)‚ communicates a crucial need: a ruler who can keep the world in order‚ a feared‚ all-powerful ruler. He concludes in
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numerous references to the emotion of fear in human nature and it’s effects as one of the defining principles of human interaction. It helps set up a foundation of sorts for some of the main points of Hobbes’ liberal view on the governing body of society and a basis for the “Social Contract Theory”. As Hobbes’ continually points out‚ in a state of nature‚ fear is the most antagonizing force that a man produces to be used against others to perpetuate a state of constant war. It is this fear‚ along with
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offered their philosophical ideas to the relation of the individual to society. Both have contrasting opinions about this topic and each provided analysis about what is the natural setting for a human being. Aristotle displays his affection for the city-state and how it was created for the betterment of human life. Rousseau counters with his discourse about how society corrupts the individual. Rousseau writes with a prominence of asserting his beliefs‚ his style is slow paced‚ giving the reader time to
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Topic: Compare the portrayals of the state of nature by Hobbes and Rousseau and how these portrayals are reflected in their political theories. Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were philosophers of the mid 17th and mid 18th centuries respectively and proposed two political theories - in “Leviathan” (Hobbes‚ 1651)‚ “The Second Discourse” (Rousseau‚ 1755) and the “Social Contract” (Rousseau‚ 1762) - that were very different but that once analysed‚ could be argued to have common characteristics
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of their day; issues such as human nature‚ political authority‚ and the right of people to rebel. Hobbes studied before the Enlightenment‚ whereas that influenced John Locke’s views immensely. Hobbes’s ideas are also derived from his pessimistic view of human nature. He viewed people as selfish and greedy. To the contrary‚ Locke viewed people as good and intelligent. Hobbes often described people as selfish and‚ because of this; he believed that a strong state was necessary to keep them in line
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logic behind them is still very similar. Locke believes that we are all born in an original state of nature‚ and therefore each individual is has natural rights. This natural state is‚ “A state of perfect freedom to order their actions‚ and dispose of their possessions and persons‚ as they think fit.” 1 Although this state does not have an established authority‚ there is a law and that law is‚ the law of nature. Locke believed that God gave the world to man as common therefore‚ we are all equal and
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Hobbes vs. Locke vs. Rousseau/ State of Nature/ Allam/ 2013 “I am at the point of believing‚ that my labor will be as useless as the commonwealth of Plato. For Plato‚ also is of the opinion that it is impossible for the disorders of the state ever to be taken away until sovereigns be philosophers . . . I recover some hope that one time or other this writing of mine may fall into the hands of a sovereign who will consider it for himself‚ for it is short‚ and I think clear.” -The Monster of
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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. After analyzing how Locke and Hobbes understand the state of nature it is evident that they share many ideas but they also
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