...Matt Smith Political Theory 2/7/02 Locke/Hobbes vs. the United Nations After WWII the world was in disarray after having witnessed the second global conflict. The countries of the world came together to form the United Nations, an organization comprised of the nations of the world in an attempt to deal with crisis and future events in a way that would deter the onset of another such conflict. Some believe that the United Nations should be a global governing body. Others may argue on the side of John Lock or Thomas Hobbes in saying the United Nations is a civic government for the nations of the world -- a Leviathan to ensure order and harmony between the states of the Earth. These people would be mistaken in their assumptions and interpretations of Locke and/or Hobbes’s thought. Both Locke and Hobbes would argue consistently that the United Nations would not work and does not make sense given the state of nature that man comes from. John Locke explained his theory of the state of nature in his Second Treatise on Government. According to Locke man exists in the state of nature as an individual coexisting peacefully with other human beings. The reason for this peaceful coexistence between people in the state of nature is because of a few simple rules. The first of these is the respect of people’s life, liberty, and property. A person’s life and liberty are forms of his property. If a person was to in some way take away another person’s property then that...
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...James Wells 12/11/14 Hobbes vs. Locke This paper will compare and contrast the views of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke expressed in Leviathan and Second Treatise of Government. The paper will show the basic differences between the two philosophers views, is Hobbes' distrust of the people and Locke's relatively greater trust of the people and distrust of the government's power and the likelihood of the abuse of that power. Hobbes' view in Leviathan aims at ensuring civil order, which means for him the absolute power of the government, or the Leviathan, which power the people have given him through the social contract. Locke, on the other hand, keeps much more power in the hands of the people through the legislature, which means, in effect, majority rule. Locke was also deeply concerned with maintaining the rights of the people, especially the right to own property. Locke's political view produces a much more democratic system, while Hobbes' produces a much more authoritarian, if not totalitarian, system. Both Locke and Hobbes start their political analysis with reference to the state of nature. However, their definitions of this state of nature stand in stark contrast to one another. The differences on their perception of the state of nature correspond to the final conclusions of what is important in a civil society. The contrasting perceptions of the state of nature on the part of these two philosophers are crucial, because they use those perceptions as the foundations for...
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..."to provide more accurate information, more powerful, and more relevant answers" to the roots or causes of peace and war (Brecher& Harvey, 54). At the same time, many features of the current realist paradigm can be traced back to the time of Thucydides, Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. Among contemporary thinkers recognized as major writers and contributors to the realist tradition are Hans Morgenthau, Edward Carr and Kenneth Waltz (Freyberg-Inan, 8). What are then the basic tenets or common features of a realist thinker? Machiavelli would acknowledge that to be a realist one has to look at history as "a sequence of cause and effect whose course can be analysed and understood by intellectual effort, but not directed by imagination" (Carr, 64). Hobbes would persist in the same train of thought and insist that to be a realist thinker one must look at things as they are and not as they should be (Warner, 37). Thus, both of these thinkers direct us to the idea that the creation of the realist paradigm and theories are in fact an inductive process whereby "theory does not create practice, but practice theory" (Carr, 64). Suggestive and provocative declarations such as those of Machiavelli and Hobbes not only make the...
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...II. 2. Hobbes social contract theory best explains the basis of our government today. For me personally, I want to live in a society based on Hobbesian principles. It simply provides that there should be one authority that we will entrust our society to take full responsibility of taking care to it. People need protection and a government that will serve the societal needs and this is what the social contract theory wants to happen. I also think that this is the best system of government that will suit each society because the people have the power to choose to whom they will entrust the power to lead them in a society. I consider this the best of all political philosophies because the individuals tend to agree to be governed in order for the whole society to put into proper order. This principle is also the basis of Democratic form of government. If the society does not want the people in their government, they possess the right to revolt against it because they are the ones who vested the authority to them. In our country, the social contract theory is present. We had already experienced to revolt against our president twice which shows democracy. We also cannot question the efficiency of these principle based on what our country’s current phase because our political culture has been inculcated with corruption, and this principle was created with good intention of making the society better. Therefore, I would still choose to live in a society based on Hobbesian principles...
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...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...
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...which made barter more easily. So, human mankind could expand their property and can be free within the boundary of natural law. If the property is robbed by another person then the owner of the property have right to punish the thief. But, protect own indivisual’s property more secure, people came to the idea of Social contract. The important point here is that Locke’s government made by citizen’s contract can never deprive property out of the citizen’s pocket. Even one penny. In other words, government can deprive life of one man but can never take his property. Also the reason why this is important is that this idea is very different from that of Hobbes. Hobbes thought that every single men is their enemy under the state of nature, so basically social contract stop human beings to kill each other and guarantee security. So Hobbes said, In order to secure majority’s property the government can collect...
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...Podorsky, Essay 1, Page 207 question 1, 2 and 3 In this essay I will discuss What Hobbes means by saying that when humans live in a state of war everybody against everybody, there is neither justice or injustice. I will also compare Glaucon’s and Hobbes ideas of justice. I will also discuss whether selfishness is in itself a bad thing. Hobbes imagines that humans started off living in a state of nature in which each person is free to decide for himself what he needs, what he's owed, what's respectful, right, moral, sensible, and also free to decide all of these questions for the behavior of everyone else as well. In this situation where there is no common authority to find resolution these many and serious disputes, Hobbes imagined that the state of nature could easily turn into a “state of war”. Hobbes said in describing this state "No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” (Rosenstand 206). Hobbes argues that the state of nature is a wretched state of war in which none of our important human ends are dependably achievable. Human nature also affords resources to escape this wretched condition. Hobbes says that once the conflict reaches a life threatening point people will do anything to preserve their own lives, “where every man is enemy to every man” (Rosenstand 206). Hobbes argues that each of us, as a rational being, can see that a war of all against...
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...Social Contract Theory of John Locke Shannon Roundtree June 23, 2014 Patricia DeAngelis Differences of the Social Contract Theories There were three critical thinkers who played a major role in creating the concept of the social contract theory. The overall concept of this theory was to see how individuals could survive in a world regulated by laws and government. Each of these individuals had different perspectives on the state of nature. Thomas Hobbes’ view was that man was fearful and selfish. He believed that man desired a sense of security and order. If man wanted to have a sense of self-preservation and protection, they needed to enter into a social contract and surrender their rights and freedom. In other words, a government was created to regulate their lives. Thomas Hobbes also believed that individuals were free to take whatever they wanted and be greedy, and resolve disputes with war. John Locke’s view was different than Thomas Hobbes as he believed no individual has any power over the next and everyone has the freedom to do what they want. John Locke also believed that if an individual committed a crime, they needed to be punished. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that the government should adhere to the freedom of all individuals, but with constraints. His views were that individuals could not be free in modern society like they could be in a state of nature if property and laws existed. Key Principles of John Locke’s Social Contract Theory John Locke viewed...
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...nature): realism (most basic/dominant) or idealism. Elements of soft/hard power. US foreign policy is made for ‘national security’. ▪ Why does conflict happen?—> The Stag Hunt: an inherently anarchic system. If one person cheats, then the next person cheats. (only takes 1 person to corrupt the system). Effort for agreement then tension happens to maintain agreement. ▪ The Pursuit of Power by states has long been put forward as the cause for the outbreak of war & conflict between nations. Power: Ability to persuade (manipulate) someone to do something that they wouldn’t otherwise do. States have power to protect their interest because the system is anarchic. Security: Power to pursue interests and do what is required to protect them. Hobbes assume evil intent in the international system “Peach through strength”. Represents the view by “realist” thinkers (Morganthau, Kissinger, Thucydides) Idealists (Plato, Locke, Rouseau, Kant) believe in man’s capacity for good & the construction of peaceful societies. Their role to establish collective security because of common interest that a system can be build to complement each other. So when 1 person breaks the stag rule, they punish that person. Idealism sees the world as it is and sees what they want it to be. Principle and peace ▪ One’s basic assumption about the international system and the nature of man affect what policies you tend to support. Realism: oriented around power & consumption among states for the resources...
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...THOMAS HOBBES Thomas Hobbes was a British philosopher who believed in Empiricism a theory that believes one gets their knowledge of the world comes from our sensory experiences through our hands, and mouth. At the time Hobbes wrote “The Leviathan” England were at upheaval over the civil war so he wrote “The Leviathan” as to show his observation on how Humans really are in their natural state with his assertion he suggest since being a royalist that to preserve peace , Man should form social contract. He believed any form of government is better than none. His Philosophy along with those of Machiavelli were seen as the foundation for Modern political thinking. Just like Machiavelli assertion that humans are essentially evil and selfish, Hobbes also believes that human are inherently selfish. The Mortal God as Hobbes describes “The Leviathan” is created in order to protect the people creating and enforcing the laws. Thesis Hobbes claim that when man is left in “The State Of Nature” he is unable to preserve his life making it brutish and short therefore man should form an social contract allowing an absolute authority the (sovereignty) create and implement laws they should follow in order to maintain peace and avoid civil war. Insight 2nd Paragraph Thomas Hobbes and Niccolò Machiavelli both make similar assertion but greatly contradicts one another. Both Hobbes and Machiavelli have a pessimistic view on human nature. Thomas Hobbes believes that humans are only interested...
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...Hobbes V.S Darwin on Power Power is a complex concept that has been discussed since early ages. While the term power may refer to the physical definition of the rate of doing work, many philosophers may look at the word in its relation to human behavior. In a social context, power can be seen as having the authority to control another’s behavior using authority or force. Many philosophers alike have discussed the concept of power and how it shapes human mechanism and the society that we live in. They have determined whether power is an essential force for society to function and what circumstances may give an individual power over another individual. Two philosophers that discuss power, its meaning and its importance in philosophy are Thomas Hobbes and Charles Darwin. Thomas Hobbes in his book “The Leviathan”, emphasized that power is the driving force of the world. He argued that we are all under certain different power districts, meaning every human being falls under a superior. Hobbes categorized power into two types; Natural Power and Instrumental Power. Natural power as Hobbes stated “is the eminence of the faculties of body or mind, as extraordinary strength, form, prudence, arts, eloquence, liberty, nobility.”(Hobbes, 78). This means power that is derived naturally without effort. For example, an earthquake has greater power, or strength than a human being. Natural power is power that an individual cannot have any control over. Instrumental powers are...
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...were they? (Type here→) Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher, and was very involved in his politics. Where were they from? (Type here→) He was from London, England When did they live? (Type here→) He was born April 5th, 1588 and died on December 4th, 1679. Thesis statement: Tie in the name of your historical figure plus the SPEC words (social, political, economic, & cultural). (Type here→) Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher that affected England politically, socially, economically, and culturally. Topic sentence (social) (Type here→) He had moral ideas that were based off of natural authority that rules us. Claim #1 (Type here→) Citizens do not have the...
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...While Nicholas Machiavelli argues that fear gives a king more control, it is Thomas More who is more justified with his position that a king must prioritize the people over themselves, as they will be content with a benevolent ruler, prompting more stability. When discussing whether a powerless lower class is threatening to a king, More sarcastically questions “who quarrel more than beggars do? Who long for a change more earnestly than the dissatisfied?” (More). More utilizes rhetorical questions instead of blatantly stating the answers, because they denote an obvious solution to the question, forcing readers to adopt his train of thought. In this instance, he uses them to point out that even though a peasant class may look criminally defenseless in the face of royalty, their...
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...As I read through the novel, ‘’Anthem’’ by Ayn Rand the word ‘’I’’ was not used by the main character, Equality 7-2021, until he found out its meaning. In fact, every character in the book could only refer themselves as a group. So basically, the collectivism society prohibited the use of “I.” The world that Equality lives is a dystopian society because the individual rights of its people have been taken away. Equality’s society feels they are doing the right thing; however, by taking away individual rights, they have created an unhappy, uneducated society. The foundation of Equality’s Society in which he resides is centered around the collective “we" thus indicating the the society maintains stability and a way of life that is free of...
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...In the text “Common Sense”, Thomas Paine makes the argument that a government has one main purpose and that is to reduce or remove evil from society. He continues to explain that a government exists mainly to prevent evil or corruption from taking over and basically upholding happiness and peace. Paine also differentiates between society and government, because he believes that people commonly mistake them for the same thing. He opens up the first chapter saying “Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness…” (Paine, 15). He says this because he wants people to understand what he believes is the true function of our government is. In his eyes, society is what promotes successfully living out our passions and desires, while...
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