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Compare And Contrast Locke And Hobbes

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Thomas Hobbes’ Chapter XIII of the Leviathan, along with John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government both cover similar topics regarding enlightened thinking, government, and the states of nature and war. Hobbes stands by the idea that mankind’s state of nature is corrupt, and that they are in a constant state of war. Locke, on the other hand, believes that the state of nature is perfect, however when a man attempts to take arbitrary power over another, they then go into a state of war. Though contrary to the other, both Hobbes and Locke make powerful claims to support their ideas on nature and war.
Hobbes and Locke share congruent ideas on equality. Hobbes claims that all men are of equal strength to one another based on the idea that everybody …show more content…

Regarding the state of nature and state of war, Hobbes’ and Locke’s opinions differ vastly. Because Hobbes believes that men are equal “...in the faculties of the body and mind…” (Hobbes, Leviathan), they are equal in hope, and therefore become more competitive. Hobbes claims that all men desire to “master” or dominate anybody who poses a threat. These ideas go under Hobbes’ understanding of the state of nature, suggesting that men are violent no matter which state. He also says that “during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war, and such a war as is of every man against every man.” (Hobbes, Leviathan). Men are constantly willing to go into a state of war, and only with the protection of a greater power will their urges be suppressed. With this quote, he defines the state of war as every man is the enemy of another, declaring his pessimistic ideas of mankind. Hobbes then goes on to reiterate that the condition of war is only apparent when people have “no common power to fear” (Hobbes, Leviathan). He stresses that without any common power there is no law, to which men will not know what is forbidden or not, leading to chaos. Men are prone to stay civil if there is fear, which the law and injustice

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