Political philosophy was reborn in the Renaissance and expanded upon in the Enlightenment. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two men that appeared at this time, and both changed the course of human and governmental thought. Hobbes supported the absolutism of the 17th and 18th centuries and Locke's concept of the social contract inspired revolts like the French Revolution, the Glorious Revolution, and the American Revolution. Both men were brilliant and contributed to the age that changed people's thought on the world. The views of Hobbes and Locke on subjects like government, man, and the human condition were opposite, but they both had a profound impact on the development of modern Europe.
             The most apparent difference between Hobbes and Locke is their view of man and society. Hobbes says man is born evil, but Locke says he is born flawed but good deep down. Hobbes followed the lead of Machiavelli in describing the state of nature for humans. Man by nature is evil. In the state of nature there is no formal law, no order, no culture, and no hope. Nature was a state of total chaos where no man has any individual rights, and all men are at war. Here, life is a constant battle for power, ending in death. In this state, a man's property is what he can take, and what he can prevent others from taking. If two men desire one item, they will become enemies, and in order to obtain this item, man will attempt to repress or destroy the other. Locke, however, had a much more optimistic view. He dismisses Hobbes nasty state of nature and argues that man is by nature good. The peaceful society that existed most places in the world was because of man's peaceful nature. War did occur, but that was because of human flaws and errors, not because of human nature. Locke describes his definition of the state of nature as "a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their positions and persons, as they think fit, within ...