state of nature
The period of the Renaissance and Enlightenment was perhaps the greatest turning point in the course of human progress. The flame of reason and human endeavor, which had all but burnt out over the previous one thousand years, was rekindled, and a great many people became inspired with a renewed passion for the pursuit of knowledge. As a result of this, great strides were made in many fields such as the study of science, art, literature, and philosophy. There was one aspect of this new age which was characteristic of all fields of study however, and that was the idea that the human being is a creature of immense faculties, great ability and endless potential in both constructive and destructive endeavors.As a result of this humanistic movement of the 16th and 17th centuries, many thinkers tried to understand humans more thoroughly by determining what basic characteristics are inherent in all men and women. More specifically, they tried to determine how and why humans evolved to form civilized societies, and what motivated them to do so. In addition, as a continuation of the work done by pre-enlightenment thinkers such as Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, scho
Firstly, like Hobbes, Locke also believed that all humans in a state of nature are equal. After walking a few miles he meets another man. "4 To ensure that humans do not transgress this law, our faculty of reason and conscience largely dictates and restrains our actions. "7 Unlike Locke, Hobbes did not believe that humans have the natural capacity to handle complete freedom with reason and constraint. Hobbes viewed natural law as a set of obligations that humans have to follow to avoid the state of war and achieve peace. Or as Hobbes states, we would essentially be in a state of war until some sort of authority would put an end to it. After walking for many days through a vast, barren and arid wasteland, this man comes across an oasis complete with fresh water, fruit trees, and animals to hunt. To better illustrate this, consider the following scenario: Picture a single man in the state of nature. In Leviathan and the Second Treatise of Government, Locke and Hobbes begin what would become a legacy for post-enlightenment thinkers. It is important, however, to remember that Hobbes did not believe that humans had such capacities in the state of nature, or the chance to use these capacities to any productive end. Now, regardless of whether the third man kills the first, there will eventually be others that try to take over the oasis, and this cycle of conflict will continue as long as humans exist in this state of nature. In the end, it must be understood that any theory about the state of nature, is, just a theory. But nevertheless, theorization is not futile. For the purposes of this paper however, the concept of the state of nature will hold a much more reverent and philosophical meaning. While Locke believed that our actions are dictated by the law of nature, Hobbes did not believe such a force exists.
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