...Three different political philosophies are spoken about in The Leviathan, 1651, The Second Treatise of Civil Government, 1690, and The Communist Manifesto, 1848. These philosophies being, in the aforesaid order, are an absolute monarchy, natural rights, and communism/scientific socialism (now known as social democracy). An absolute monarchy is a type of government in which the ruler has complete authority over the government and lives of the people he or she governs. Natural rights are rights that belong to all humans from birth, such as life, liberty, and property. Communism is a classless society in which all wealth and property would be owned by the community as a whole. Social democracy is a political ideology in which there is a gradual...
Words: 741 - Pages: 3
...philosophers argued for different forms of democracy.” Because of the questions explored, the philosophers’ opinions made for a decent starting place for the Founding Fathers. Some specific philosophers included Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Charles Montesquieu, Nicolo Machiavelli, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. For starters, Thomas Hobbes was the author of Leviathan. The “natural state” that Hobbes discusses is one of anarchy and where every individual is created equal. Since everyone is free and equal, they are free to do as they please as there are no laws to enforce them in this natural state. This resulted in everyone to suffer from a “continued fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” This piece argues strongly for a social contract. Basically, peace in a society as well as a society that is unified is best achieved by establishing said social contract. The idea of that natural state is the cause of citizens creating these social contracts because by giving up individual rights and living under an absolute power, they remove fear between one another and promote self-preservation. A state is meant to be powerful and control order within; according to Hobbes, it is best to give absolute power to the kings. This absolute power is best to guarantee the security of the commonwealth and common defense as this power would “make life, liberty, and property possible.” Some of Hobbes’ ideas contradict the governing principles...
Words: 1573 - Pages: 7
...Response Paper Thomas Hobbes was born in London in 1588. After his father’s early death Hobbes was raised by his uncle. Thomas Hobbes received his education at Oxford University in England. As the scene was being set for the Civil Wars ‘’Civil war meant that the country became militarily divided.’’ all divisions cut across one another for this reason Thomas Hobbes felt forced to leave the country for his personal safety. Then he lived in France from 1640 to 1651. In this point we can easily understand that social and political chaos affected Hobbes’s life and shaped his thought, but it never prevented his intellectual development. His early position gave him to read, write and publish. On the other hand Thomas Hobbes also likes travelling that’s why he traveled to other European countries several times. While he travelling he meet with other scientists. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes wrote his most famous work which was name is Leviathan. His main concern is the problem of social and political order. First one is how human beings can live together in peace and avoid the danger and fear of civil conflict. He believed that humans were basically selfish. They would do anything to better their position. Left to themselves, he thought, people would act on their evil impulses. According to Hobbes, people therefore should not be trusted to make decisions on their own. On the other hand if we look at Thomas Hobbes’s point of view about human nature we can say that; his view is a pessimistic...
Words: 478 - Pages: 2
...Comparing Thomas Hobbes and John Locke’s views concerning what life is like in a state of nature, we can see that the two-theorist’s share opposite views in making an assumption of what the state of nature is like. Thomas Hobbes’ views include pessimistic views of nature and how its effects can influence man to selfishly consider what he would need to do to secure his safety while John Locke presents a natural concept that assumes there is a universal thought of good that man is aware of. Attempting to justify the role of government or justice by understanding the state of nature can be somewhat accurate and can be considered for such purposes, but may fail to answer some aspects of society overall and leave other things unanswered. In regards...
Words: 3320 - Pages: 14
...Theorists in the Enlightenment era such as Hobbes and Locke began to apply concepts of reason to all functions of society. Politics and the role of government had a major impact on theorists like Hobbes and Locke. In this paper, I will focus on what is the difference between Hobbes and Locke in regards to the role of government? And why are their theories important to today’s government? To respond, I will be arguing that Hobbes and Locke have two completely different views on how governments should be run; Hobbes focuses on authoritarian regime and Locke’ main idea is there should be a civil society. To answer the latter, I will analyze Hobbes’s theory of government with today’s government and I will also analyze Locke’s Theory of government with today’s government. Thomas Hobbes believed in a form of government in which people were controlled by an absolute ruler (Leviathan). For Hobbes, he believed that all human beings were naturally selfish and cruel; he believed that the State of Nature is short, poor and disorderly (Lecture). People in the State of Nature pursue their self-interests (material gain and personal safety), and this will lead to human beings to make enemies and create conflict (Lecture). Therefore, without government there will be no control over humans and life would be disorganised. In his eyes, a ruler is necessary for a state to thrive and flourish, without a leader, society would be chaotic (Leviathan). In this type of government, people would need to...
Words: 2209 - Pages: 9
...the Enlightenment, which can be best understood against the backdrop of 18th century absolutism and the dominance of Christian world-views, denounced the ‘divine right of kings’ and called for reform in governance (Gieben and Hall, 1992:23). These were the ideas that influenced 19th century politics, and gradually led to the switch from all-powerful monarchies to the democracies of the modern world. In this essay I shall give a brief overview of the Enlightenment whilst focusing mainly on its political ideas and put these ideas in context by describing the political landscape of the time. I will then discuss how these political ideas shaped the politics of the 19th century. I will limit myself to looking at the influence of the Enlightenment on European politics as that is where its affect was most sharply felt and was the main location for the Enlightenment movement (Gieben and Hall,1992:72). The Enlightenment was the emergence of new ways of thinking which came about mainly in 18th century Europe, although Enlightenment ideas can also be seen in the 17th century, for example in the writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. These ways of thinking championed empiricism, reason and universalism; claiming that knowledge can only be gained from what we experience, that all human beings are rational and should base their knowledge on reason and experience, and that these principles should be applied to all situations. Although most Enlightenment thinkers were in favour of...
Words: 1324 - Pages: 6
...The Purpose of Government What is the Purpose of Government? Ronald Reagan said “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” This quote follows the fundamental principles of a Social Contract as described by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Though the two Enlightenment thinkers had some contradicting views they came to the same conclusion. Government is created by the people, for the people. Thomas Hobbes was the first person to explore the idea of a social contract between citizens and their government. Hobbes was an influential Enlightenment thinker who believed that people are naturally selfish and violent and that life without government is “nasty, brutish, and short.” He argued that people...
Words: 345 - Pages: 2
...philosophy. The Social Contract is a theory that explains the relationship between individuals and authority. There are many different viewpoints on how this theoretical contract originated and how it should be upheld. New enlightened thinkers Thomas Hobbes, John Lock, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau publically shared their views on the Social Contract. The Leviathan, published in 1651, was the first written work to argue certain interpretations of a social contract. Thomas Hobbes used this publication to explain to the world why an absolute government was necessary for the advancement of civilization and individualism. According to Hobbes, before laws and government were established, men existed in a “state of nature”. The hypothetical state of nature describes the condition in which people lived before a civil society. Hobbes believed that this state was full of chaos, fear, and self-reliance. Men were free to do as they pleased and there was no order to ensure their protection. In order to maintain a beneficial society, men would have to surrender their rights and freedoms to an authority in exchange for protection of life and freedom. One individual, a monarch, would have absolute power over the community and his rule is not to be questioned. Hobbes knew that monarchy rule did not always offer the best results but he did believe that it was better than returning to a war-bound state of nature. In Two Treatises of Government, John Locke expresses his disagreement...
Words: 577 - Pages: 3
...powerful than another. Operating idea of federalism and constitutionalism, states could govern themselves, to a certain extent, and the national government would have the right to govern the states and nation as well. Ultimately the framers would divide powers amongst the three branches. No other democracies around the world use this approach. Many believe our three branches of government is the strength of the United States government. America’s forefathers divided the government into the legislative, judicial, and executive branches When the framers were developing the constitution, they wanted to establish a government where the freedoms of the people would not be susceptible. The framers used the principles defined by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Thomas Hobbes came up with the idea of social contract where individuals gave up certain rights in order for protection. Hobbes knew the people would need to give up some freedoms and follow a leader who would supply safety. John Locke believed that all individuals were entitled to his or her absolute rights and that social contracts were to be written in order to protect rights. Our forefathers trusted the work of Locke and Hobbes and believed creating a government based on division of powers and checks and balances was the only way rights could be protected. The framers then distributed the government into the judicial, presidential, and legislative branches. The forefathers believed that by having separation of powers...
Words: 402 - Pages: 2
...Enlightenment Philosophers One of the earlier Enlightenment philosophers is Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). Hobbes was an English philosopher, scientist, and historian. One of Hobbes's most important writings is “The Leviathan”. It argues the necessity of absolute sovereignty during unstable wartimes, and doubles as an autobiography. Thomas Hobbes believed that people were “cruel, greedy, and selfish”. Hobbes is quoted with “Life without laws would be nasty, brutal, and short”. John Locke lived 1632 to 1704 in New England. Locke lived as a graduate of University of Oxford Westminster School. His education led to studies in medicine, political philosophy,epistemology, and education. Many modern philosophers believe he laid down the basics...
Words: 340 - Pages: 2
...Thomas Hobbes “I was born in fear and remained in fear my whole life.” Who is the best sort of person to lead us? Not important to Hobbes All People are competitive, full of fear, and full of pride. People are Selfish Invents concept for life without government STATE OF NATURE is when there is no governmental body to rule over the people Hobbes believes it is not good, people would not be happy. Business would not exist The purpose of government is to put truth in words. What is the basis of government? Social contract- agreement of citizens to abide by laws and rules government creates. Natural laws are terms of social contract: Seek Peace, give up something (right to make own decisions), agree to keep promises, establish a rule maker called the sovereign, give him the power of enforcement Hobbes believes that the need for government is to protect us from our other fellow citizens. Rebelling against the government is a bad thing in Hobbes’ eyes because it puts society closer to State of Nature. John Locke What is the purpose of government? What would life be like in a state of nature? Human nature- everyone is selfish, everyone is born with rationality Locke believes that things wouldn’t change much in state of nature , business would exist. We need government to solve basic economic problems, Social Contract- people give up 3 inalienable rights: Life, liberty, right to Property Government must promise to improve the common weale or improve peoples lives and...
Words: 635 - Pages: 3
...Hugo Grotius and John Comenius were the first to question tradition and propose improvements. Thomas Hobbes was an author who was in favor of autocracy, writing of how people were self-serving and cruel. John Locke was libertarian who believed strongly in representative government. Baron de Montesquieu was famous for his ideas about the separation of power. Jean-Jacques Rousseau advocated for a small, direct democracy, similar to the Athenian system. Finally, David Hume was known for his extreme skepticism and some credit him to persuading thinkers into a shift away from rational thought. A trend that emerged in the works of these aforementioned authors included a call for change in government, whether it be structurally or ideologically. Humanitarianism arose as well, specifically the view that those who are more fortunate should help those less fortunate. Another key trend was recurring emphasis on reason and individualism. The most famous and influential documents of the time were Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, “What is Enlightenment?” by Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract, Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes and Common Sense by Thomas...
Words: 667 - Pages: 3
...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was a set of laws generated by the barons of |When the thirteen US colonies became independent from Great Britain in 1776, it | | |England and the Archbishop Steven Langton of the Catholic |needed to set a central government to pass laws and enforce the laws. During this | | |Church to limit the powers that King John possessed during the |time many British settlers followed the great Britain law that was put in place by | | |12 century and of any king thereafter. The Magna Carta came |the Magna Carta. In 1789 the United States Constitution was ratified and many of the| | |into law on June 15, 1215 and marked the beginning to a |Magna Carta laws were introduced to the foundation of what is the United States | | |constitutional England where the laws were promised to be good |Constitution. Such laws as that of no man should...
Words: 3422 - Pages: 14
...Thomas Hobbes believed that humans were naturally driven by fear, greed, violence, and self-interest. Humans were led by extreme individualism. This was dangerous as it led to the inability to co-exist peacefully. Hobbes argued that it was dangerous to allow society to be free and that in order to be secure, society had to relinquish their individual liberties. As a result, he suggested a government in which society would give up their freedoms to an individual who would then be responsible for its security. In essence, Hobbes wished for a dictatorship. John Locke believed that individuals were rational, intelligent, and reasonable. If given the ability to think for themselves, they would be able to distinguish right from wrong. As a society,...
Words: 310 - Pages: 2
...Tom Chapman A2 Political Theory DATE \@ "d MMMM y" 20 September 2015 A Fear of Democracy Runs Through Liberalism A2 Political Theory A fear of Democracy runs through Liberalism. Do Liberal individuals fear the hand of the state and the will of the people? Are Liberals fearful of what the ruling majority may impose on them or are they perfectly happy bending the knee to the authority of the state and the decisions of the masses, if only to preserve their own civil liberties and rights? To assess if this is the case or not we must first understand a rather complicated question; what is Liberalism? Liberalism can be traced back to the decline of Feudalism in the 18th Century and the revolutions of both France (1789) and the USA (1765) where we saw two states try to shake off the ruling class and enter a new era of enlightenment where there was, generally, consensus ruling. Liberalism then comes to the fore front of Political thinking around the period of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and Europe in the 19th Century which led to many people rising through the ranks and creating a form of social mobility linked with Liberal ideas of self rule and governance. It’s this Industrial Revolution period where we see Liberalism take it’s first form - what we now call classical Liberalism. Classical Liberals believe in the idea of negative freedoms where by each person is able to both thrive and fail in society, this goes hand in hand with the idea of maintaining state intervention...
Words: 1270 - Pages: 6
