John Locke And Thomas Hobbes Similarities

Thomas Hobbes and john Locke were both enlightment philosophers who use the state of nature as a formula in political philosophy. Both Locke and Hobbes had tried to influence by their sociopolitical background, “to expose the man as he was before the advent of the social life” (). Locke and Hobbes addressed man’s relation to the society around him; however, they came to different conclusions regarding the nature of human government.

First and foremost, they both shared a need for government among citizens. Lock and Hobbes also have a few similar points on a state of nature. In a state of nature, they both agree on the fact that all men are equal in this sense. Locke even refers to this state as equality, similarly to how Hobbes calls men equal in mind and body. Similarly, they both believed in finding it challenging for people to protect and guard their natural rights. These are also known as rights every human being is born with. These rights include life, liberty, and property. They both go on to stress and even warn over the dangers involved with a state in nature. Thomas Hobbes says that a man is in a state of war when he is in a state of nature. John Locke says without the law of nature, everyone could carry out their decisions. This would lead into a state of war. This existence of the state of war being involved in the state of nature is prevalent in both

Change is in the inevitable byproduct of society. As societies evolve they change according to the life style of the people who inhabit them. Without change, society would never progress and thus would be frozen in a single moment in time. Thomas Hobbes and John Lock were two English philosophers who observed tremendous changes in English politics between the years of 1640 and 1690. In closely examining the views of both of these philosophers in subject areas such as the nature of man in society, the relationship between a society and its government, and the affect that both philosophers’ novels had on the government, it can be concluded that both Hobbes and Locke’s philosophies created prominent change in the methods of government.

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are comparable in their basic political ideologies about man and their rights in the state of nature before they enter a civil society. Their political ideas are very much similar in that regard. The resemblance between Hobbes and Locke’s philosophies are based on a few characteristics of the state of nature and the state of man. Firstly, in the state of nature both Hobbes and Locke agree that all men are created equal, but their definitions of equality in the state of nature slightly differ. According to Locke, “…in the state of nature… no one has power over another…” Locke’s version or idea of equality in the state of

The key differences in the views of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke on the purpose of government lie within their contrasting views of the natural human state. Hobbes believed that people are naturally selfish, only acting in their own best interest, while Locke believed that people are naturally good, meaning that they can be trusted to govern themselves. Due to their differing beliefs regarding innate human state, their ideas regarding government varied greatly -- the two men were practically opposites. Hobbes believed that, due to their inborn selfish nature, people could not be trusted with democratic rule. Due to this fact, Hobbes argued for absolute authority to be given to one man, like a king. Hobbes believed that government is meant to

Where did the thought of having a civil society for the benefit of those who live in it originate from? Philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both spend their lives researching social contracts and the natural law of man. Within Hobbes’s social contract theory, there are no rights that define one’s state of nature but a need for a form of power above all to regulate the freedoms of society. In Locke’s social contract theory, some social restrictions are placed on some of the people’s natural rights and men are social animals. Comparing Thomas Hobbes’s and John Locke’s views of the state of nature characterizations, it is easy to say from a modern perspective that what Locke says of men makes more sense as it has experienced and listened

Two of the greatest prestigious philosophers of their time, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke greatly influenced the views on human nature, natural rights and the role of government and the people. These ideas and views would lead important contribution changes of the world, such as the United States Constitution. Nevertheless, both men views intersect as well as differ. This essay is designed to compare and compare both men in terms of their views and ideas.

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both had two different arguments stating the state of nature. “The state of nature is a representation of human existence prior to the existence of society understood in a more contemporary sense” (n.a. 2017). Thomas Hobbes was born in Westport, England on April 5, 1588, and died at Hardwick Hall, England, 1679. Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher and political theorist. Hobbes did not have the usual childhood as his father abandoned his family and his uncle raised him. Despite this, he graduated from the University of Oxford and began his life as a writer (Hobbes, 2017). John Locke,1 on the other hand was born in Wrington, Somerset, on 29 August 1632 in England and later on died in 1704. Locke went to Westminster

While Hobbes and Locke both talk about a lot of the same things in their breakdown of governmental theory, they do it in very different ways. Hobbes, being known for having a pessimistic view of humans in the natural state describes the ideal politic as an absolute monarchy that consistently puts its constituents’ safety first. Locke sees potential benefits that the state of nature is able to offer but concedes that the state of nature has the ability to also be a state of war.

Thomas Hobbes believe that people are wicked, selfish and cruel. “Every man is for themselves”. He think people are born with the rights that they relinquish to the monarch in return for protection. People could not be trusted to govern themselves, because people had no say so in their government, they could do nothing if the monarch was abusive. He also believes the purpose of the government is to keep law and order On the other hand, John Locke believes that all people are born with unalienable rights. He thinks people can be trusted to govern themselves if they provide with the right information they can make good decisions. Locke believes the purpose of the of government is to protect individuals liberties and rights.

Hobbes and Locke although having many different beliefs they did have many similarities. One being the time period and the location in which both philosophers wrote their ideas.

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were two very different philosophical geniuses of their time. One could say that they were a result of their era; Locke wrote after the Revolution of 1688, an almost bloodless revolution for a constitutionalized government. On the other hand, Hobbes wrote during the interregnum between the rules of King Charles I and King Charles II about how the government should be in complete control of its people. Locke believed that oppressed people have a right to rebel against the government, and the people should be more in charge of the government. Meanwhile, Hobbes thought that the government was there to intimidate people to keep us from killing each other and overthrowing the government. Despite the almost polar

In the 18th century, the ideas of philosophers were rising in popularity as people began to question the societal norm. In the 1600s, Hobbes and Locke shared their ideas about the natural state of man. While Locke believed that men are born good and naturally know the difference between right and wrong, Hobbes believed that men were naturally evil and needed a strict government in order to stay under control. President John Adams shared his views on how he believed America should be run. When talking about the taxation of American colonists, he shared his belief that “The Parliament of Great Britain can have no more right to tax the colonies than a Parliament of Paris.” John Adam’s belief can be supported by the ideas of Locke. Locke’s

While these two great philosophers do not share the same political ideology, there were a couple of ideas that the two did agree upon. Hobbes and Locke both believed in the Social Contract, which is the idea that individuals give up certain rights to be protected by the government. Hobbes describes the Social Contract as the mutual transferring of rights. (Lloyd, 2014) Where the

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are viewed as the first modern political philosophers. Both philosophers used their personal views as a means to develop their theories of human nature, the origin of the state, the nature of government, and the right of revolution. The two philosophers contributed to many fields: politics, governance, and the lives of individuals. Due to their different approaches to the same points, they differed on the views of human nature, the right of revolution, and the nature of governments. Their views on human nature influenced their philosophies on the theory of government.