Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau, and “The Original Contract” by David Hume. In this paper, I will present Hume’s arguments against the social contract theory, how his views might apply to Locke’s, then Locke’s response to Hume’s argument and finally present my argument of why I agree with Hume. In the philosophical text “Of The Original Contract” by David Hume, he provides arguments to why he believes that the social contract theory does not justify the establishment of a state. According
Hobbes and Locke on Natural Rights According to the natural right theory, the state of nature is the original condition of human beings in regard to any common authority. In the state of nature, according to Thomas Hobbes, each individual has a right to everything, even the body/life of the other. The state of nature can lead to the state of moral chaos. Moral chaos produces physical chaos or war, thus the state of war, the war of all against all. The reason this is because no one has any
whatever remains of his life, Hobbes likewise made a few voyages to Europe to learn and work with his philosophical associates, including Galileo, Mersenne, and René Descartes. Hobbes' perspective of human instinct was formed to a great extent by the English Civil War, which occurred from 1642 to 1649 and finished in the decapitation of King Charles I. Hobbes considered the following riotous interregnum time frame, from 1649 to 1660, to be as near that fundamental condition of nature as people
John Locke, an influential English philosopher, has been considered one of the greatest thinkers during the Enlightenment. Well-known for his fundamental role in developing political philosophy, John Locke is widely regarded as “the Father of Liberalism”. Furthermore, being a pioneer empiricist, his famous theory of the human mind as containing non-innate ideas is often seen as an inspiration for contemporary empiricists. He also contributed to the social contract theory. This theory states that:
legislative power precedes law in Locke’s pattern of commonwealth formation, but this is misleading. In fact, Locke alludes several times to laws which precede the legislature itself, arguing that “the first and fundamental positive law of all commonwealths is the establishing of the legislative power…” (XI, 134). Once established, the legislative must not be allowed to exercise what Locke calls “arbitrary” power over the citizens, but this raises a problem of distinction—if the legislative has supreme
Hobbes vs. Locke This paper will compare and contrast the beliefs 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
as to how man fits into the state of nature and the means by which a government should be formed and what type of government constitutes the best. This difference arises from different conceptions about human nature and "the state of nature", a condition in which the human race finds itself prior to uniting into civil society. Hobbes'
as to how man fits into the state of nature and the means by which a government should be formed and what type of government constitutes the best. This difference arises from different conceptions about human nature and “the state of nature”, a condition in which the human race
the Bill of Rights are both results of the Enlightenment and thoughts of the philosophes, specifically John Locke. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were both English philosophers,influential thinkers of the seventeenth century, both had confidence in a Social Contract and they both distributed books that were generally perused. Thomas Hobbes talked about and built up the social contract
The political writings of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau focus a great deal of their work discussing various views of the state of nature, and the human nature for the establishment of political authority. These three theorists have many differing opinions of the purpose and reality of the state of nature, the purpose of government and the impact of founders and how men secure their rights. In the Leviathan, Hobbes believes that the state of nature is a constant state of war