Locke Vs Hobbes Essay

Submitted By jzhou1170
Words: 667
Pages: 3
Open Document
Jack Zhou
1/5/2014
Jason Fisher
Ap European History
Locke Vs Hobbes During the 18th centuries, the movement that are known as the “Enlightenment” brought many more idea into play in European society. Two of these contributors are Locke and Hobbes. While they are both natural law theorist and social contract theorist, their similarities ends there. Hobbes supports order and monarch, while Locke liberties and republic. On the matters on governments, Locke and Hobbes have opposite thought. Locke believe that all people, no matter how low in social status, have inalienable rights. These right are life, liberty, and the right to own property. While on the other hand, Hobbes believes that people are born with rights, but they must give up that right to receive protection from the government and monarch. This is known as social contract. They even disagree on the reason for government. In his book “Leviathan”, Hobbes stated that the purpose of the government and monarch was to keep law and order. This book is written during the English civil war, which shown how non-centralized government can cause great disorder and frequent war. While Locke believe the role on government in to protect individual liberties and rights mentioned above. So overall we can tell that Hobbes think that absolute monarch is the best kind of government, as it centralize power and improve stability and unity. Locke want any kind of representative government, where people have the right to speak up and defend their rights. At 18th centuries, religion is one of the biggest part of politics and civilization. Hobbes believes in the traditional way, that only one religion should be allow in a nation. By getting everyone to follow the religion of the state, the mandate of heaven works on everyone, and the populace will be united and more tolerant toward the government. Locke, on the other hand, is strongly influenced by Enlightenment ideas and propose reform. He suggested the governments should grant the people the right to choose their own religion. While he still believe that there should be an official religion that is approved by the government, other religion should be tolerated, if not welcomed. They further proven that Hobbes prefer unity and order over liberties, while Locke Liberties over everything else. While Locke and Hobbes both recognize the natural right of people, their opinion of the right of ownership, an obvious part of today’s rights, is different. Hobbes believe that private
Show More

Related Documents: Locke Vs Hobbes Essay

Hobbes Vs Locke

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are both very influential theoretical philosophers. They have both shared their ideologies in how the government should operate. Despite their shared commitments in philosophy, Hobbes and Locke have several points of divergence. Hobbes’s ideology is mostly based on a monarchy. In Hobbes’s eyes a monarchy solves conflicts, insures stability, and consistency in policies. While in the other hand Locke believed voluntary dictatorship/ democracy is the best way to govern a…

Words 561 - Pages 3

Hobbes Vs Locke

opinion-based observation. Locke and Hobbes share the similarities of approaching this question as theorists of social contract and natural law. They both conclude the state of nature to be defined as a lack of civil government; an environment in which humanity…

Words 1170 - Pages 5

Hobbes Vs Locke

One of Hobbes’ take-away claims from “Leviathan” is that absolute monarchy is preferable to the State of Nature. Locke, in stating that the State of Nature is superior to absolute monarchy, is in direct opposition to Hobbes’ claim. As such, this explicit and direct opposition to Hobbes’ claim could easily be construed an intentional response to Hobbes. The difference in the claims originates in the difference between each author’s conception of the State of Nature. Where Hobbes imagines the State…

Words 298 - Pages 2

John Locke Vs Hobbes

the investigation of the nature, causes or principles of reality, values or knowledge rooted in a reasoning approach. Moreover, philosophers provide inside into the mysteries of human existence and truth. Two well-known philosophers, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, do exactly this by discussing elements of the social contract, a theory from the Age of Enlightenment that addresses the nature of man, the origin of society and political authority over man. In Locke’s Two Treaties of Government and A letter…

Words 1803 - Pages 8

John Locke Vs Hobbes Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, they both had completely different views of the ideal state. Each of them supported their own ideas and also considered it correct. And they had their own vision about the ideal state. But what is the state for us, for people, each of us wants to live under sustained, strong state that could protect people from a variety of disasters and accidents. I believe that each of us wants to live in peace, without various kinds of violence and coercion to anything. But not everyone…

Words 497 - Pages 2

Governmental Philsophies: Locke vs. Hobbes Essay

A. Thomas Hobbes 1. Hobbes believed that people were naturally selfish, unsociable human beings. Human beings in general were simple minded, with selfish desires, and were most influenced by their desire for power over others. Hobbes believed that man were addicted to having power, and quarrel amongst people is only natural. Men also live by a “social contract” in which they treat others the way they wish to be treated themselves. Yet this social contract is not substantial enough to maintain order…

Words 819 - Pages 4

Locke Vs. Hobbes: Is Human Nature Good Or Evil?

Is Human Nature good or evil? That’s the question and debate that has been asked for decades and still is to this current day. The most famous debate over this was Locke v. Hobbes. Locke thought people were naturally good, on the other hand Hobbes thought people were naturally evil. I side with Locke and I think that people are naturally good and try to be the best person they can be. 75% of people in the world are good people, but there are those people that are bad, but most of the time those…

Words 380 - Pages 2

How Did John Locke's Influence On Government

The object of this essay is to compare and contrast Thomas Hobbes and John Locke’s ideas in the state of nature and how it has an influence on government. Both Hobbes and Locke write similar when referring to the state of nature, they raise the idea that man can exist without government, but that it comes with risks. Hobbes speaks of the nature itself, while Locke makes examples to prove it. The Leviathan and Second Treatise of Government help explain Hobbes’s and Locke’s ideas and the points they…

Words 1513 - Pages 7

John Locke, And Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Article Analysis

Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau may disagree on which form of supreme power is the most ordered (monarchy vs. democracy), they all claim because an individual’s passions and desires may possibly obstruct the rights of others, some form of government is needed. In order to live successfully, citizens willfully give up their individual freedom for the benefit that a supreme being of power will guarantee their safety and protection through state legislation. The people then can…

Words 606 - Pages 3

Politics: Political Philosophy and John Locke Essay

Hobbes VS. Locke Political Science 2300 Introduction to political thought Dr. G. Michael Stathis, Ph.D. Autumn Semester 2012 Take home essay #3 By, Monte Van Buskirk In this paper I will discussing contrasts, and similarities between Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. Their views on popular contract/constitution. And many other different parts of their ideas and thoughts that contrast each other completely. I will compare their ideas on things like human nature, the necessary amount…

Words 1504 - Pages 7