Hobbes and Locke
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.
War did occur, but that was because of human flaws and errors, not because of human nature. Likewise, Locke?s ideas found their way into the minds of revolutionaries. He can see beyond the selfishness of man into what a true culture can be. In this government, the majority holds the right to rule on behalf of the minority, and all men agree to follow and submit to the determinations and rulings of the government. This freedom does need some overseeing force to regulate, but not a harsh government like Hobbes. The social contract works both ways ? if a person misacts, the government punishes him, so fairly, if the government misacts the people have the right to punish it. Hobbes does not speak of the glorification of man?s life, but only how to restrain his evil. Depending on the situation of a certain area, man could be evil, or man might willingly enter a social contract. His view of government is built around the same idea of the subjects giving up some rights in order to secure themselves. The ?natural laws? that were popular to include in theory during Hobbes? time were not upheld in nature, but a government can force a man to live by them. In this state, a man's property is what he can take, and what he can prevent others from taking. Hobbes? man is constantly fighting to suppress the evil that is natural that he does not enjoy the cultural aspects of life. Such a harsh force is required to get anything accomplished in such a warped world. 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 the bounds of the law of Nature.
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