Essay on John Locke vs Thomas Hobbes - 509 Words

Locke versus Hobbes Locke and Hobbes were both social contract theorists, and both natural law theorists, but there the resemblance ends. All other natural law theorists assumed that man was by nature a social animal. Hobbes assumed otherwise, thus his conclusions are strikingly different from those of other natural law theorists. What would life and human relations be like in the absence of government? Thomas Hobbes was the first to attempt to illustrate this condition using an intellectual device- a thought experiment, known as the State of Nature. For Hobbes, the state of nature was not an actual period in history, but rather a way of rationalizing how people would act in their most basic state. He believed that everything in†¦show more content†¦Hobbes further believed that an individuals appetite constantly kept him or her in motion, and that in order to remain in motion, everyone needs a certain degree of power. Thus the pursuit of power is the natural state of humans. Hobbes then says th at nature ahs made men basically equal. He also says that people were constantly in a struggle for power and above all else, they wanted to avoid a violent death. In the state of nature, people were always at war with one another, a war of all against all. Every person had the right to do anything they pleased. Hobbes thought that this would go on until people discovered that they could prevent their demise by avoiding doing things that would purposely endanger their lives. Hobbes also thought that an authoritarian government would come to power in order to enforce the social contract by whatever means necessary. He called this Leviathan. Individuals exchanged their rights in return for peace, security, and protection from one another. John Locke embraced many of the ideas presented by Hobbes in his theories on the state of nature and the rise of government. They differed however, in that Locke believed that God was the prime factor in politics. He believed that individuals were bor n with certain rights given not by government or society, but by God. This he said, is what gives all people equality. Locke said in the stateShow MoreRelatedMonarchy Vs. Democracy By Thomas Hobbes And John Locke1655 Words   |  7 Pages Monarchy vs Democracy Through assessing both monarchy and democracy from both perspectives of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, one can see that democracy creates the most beneficial outcome. Hobbes had a pessimistic view of people. He believed humans were selfish, doing anything to further their own position in life. Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy, a government that gave all the power to a king or queen. Even though he distrusted democracy, he believed that a diverse group of representativesRead MoreTwo Sided Coin: Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke Essay905 Words   |  4 Pages Two-sided coin: Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke There are always two-sides everything including people and the government, kind of like science vs. faith view. With Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, they give the impression to be on opposite sides when it comes to people, society and the government even and yet both were Englishmen. Hobbes was born 5 April 1588 and died 4 December 1679; he is best known today for his work on political philosophy. While John Locke was 29 August 1632 and died 28 OctoberRead MoreImpact Of Thomas Hobbes During The Age Of Absolutism1009 Words   |  5 PagesThomas Hobbes During the Age of Absolutism The Age of Absolutism was a time during the 16th to 19th centuries where many political, religious and colonial conflicts were rising. 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Things like virtue, socialRead MoreThe Relationship Between Humanity And The Divine1423 Words   |  6 Pagesfor us. The final question- Are humans above or a part of nature? John Locke and Thomas Hobbes fought over this very idea whenever it came to man being nature or being above nature. Like Aristotle, John Locke believed that man was a social animal. To quote Aristotle’s writings, â€Å"man is by nature a political animal, and a man that is by nature and not merely by fortune citiless is either low in the scale of humanity or above it†. Hobbes however believed that, man is not by nature a social animal, andRead MoreHobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Machiavelli Essay1855 Words   |  8 PagesHobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Machiavelli The thirteenth through the eighteenth century brought profound changes in the political realm of Western civilization. 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