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Comparing Thomas Hobbes And John Locke

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Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are infamous philosophers that shaped modern political theory, philosophy, ethics, etc. This essay seeks to analyze the differences and similarities between the states of nature each philosopher believes to exist. In this context, the term “state of nature” will mean the natural state of human relations without political or societal applications. It will be extremely important to keep in mind that “state of nature refers not to a specific place or time, but to a certain sort of relationship between individuals,” in order to better understand what is meant by Hobbes and Locke . This is the answer to the common question of “when did the state of nature exist in history?” The idea of the state of nature in terms of the lack of societal constructs has never existed, and neither Hobbes nor Locke claim it to have ever existed in that sense. However, every single person is in the state of nature all the time despite the presence of societal constructs. State of nature is really human nature at its core, which cannot be tamed nor extinguished,, though it can be hidden, through societal constructs.
Historical Context: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was a tutor to King Charles II …show more content…

He believes man to be in “a war of every man against every man,” in which everyone is fighting for their own survival . In this state of nature, man is competitive, distrustful, and obligated to only fight for their self-preservation. Because of this, individual morality is subjective according to one’s own empirical environment. If a man believes himself to be in danger within the environment around him, the “individual is obligated to perform actions he thinks necessary to preserve his life,” which can include killing those that threaten him . For those that are weaker in physical strength than the threatening force, through cunning, the man can strike first at surprise of the threat

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Although, their views on the type of government and the natural rights of its citizens greatly differed, especially regarding the state of nature. The state of nature is an idea used in political philosophy that was used by Enlightenment philosophers. It’s a representation of human nature without society. Locke believed that “Men living according to reason, without a common superior on earth, to judge between them, is properly the state of nature.”

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In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke revealed his interests in new science, developing theories of education and knowledge (SMW, 34). One of the main points in his Treatise is that of the law of nature, where all men are in natural state of perfect freedom (SMW, 34). Locke argues, “Men being…by nature all free, equal, and independent,

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With the creation of what Hobbes refers to as “state of nature”, Hobbes alters his philosophical content into an odd cross blend of genres, in order to portray the innate and natural state of humankind and its anecdotal perspectives is the result of abstract creativity. A story commences to rise within Leviathan, a tragedy whose fundamental characters are common men battling for survival against the savagery of the innate world and the misuse of each other. Hobbes ' depiction of the contingency of nature resembles his portrayal of what he refers to as “motion of matter”(pg.99). Hobbesian text bodies steadily and fiercely into one another similarly to the way that human bodies clash with state of nature. In this manner, not only does every layer of Hobbes ' contentions expand upon the rationale of the last, every layer reflects previous symbolism and

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In contrast to Hobbes, who argues social bonds form to regulate human nature, Rousseau argues that the formation of the civil state results from and in a “change in man,” that humans must of necessity be denatured in the process of forming society. There are similarities between the two’s philosophies, but it is Rousseau, through his arguments that human nature can be changed, who articulates a political vision more consistent with the claim that humans are asocial by nature. In the beginning, the arguments of both Hobbes and Rousseau are similar. Man in nature is isolated.

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The issue raised in the Thomas hobbes theory, represent an aspiration, not a reality. Nonetheless, the Theory is a giant step toward absolute security, but many unresolved argument are counter posed to it. • Life in the state of nature may well be ‘‘solitary’’ and ‘‘poor.’’ It may be a life of fear, insecurity, and barbarism.

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Jeffrey Secrist AP MEH Research Project 2/2/18 The factories associated with the Industrial Revolution were able to strengthen the British economy more than the traditional cottage economy. The economy benefited from these factories for a variety of reasons. First, the factories increased the efficiency of production and eliminated problems that the cottage industry encountered. They also were instrumental in creating a new social class structure which influenced the economy.

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Both social contract philosophers defended different views about moral and political obligations of men living in the state of nature stripped of their social characters. The state of nature illustrates how human beings acted prior to entering into civil society and becoming social beings living under common legitimacy. The state of nature is to be illustrated as a hypothetical device to explain political importance in the society. Thomas Hobbes, propounded politics and morality in his concept of the state

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State of Nature is the condition under which men lived prior to the formation of societies which may be considered as an historical fact or a hypothetical claim" (Steele, 1993). That is, the condition that men lived before the formation of legitimate government. Social contract on the other hand, is the hypothesis that one's moral obligations are dependent upon an implicit agreement between individuals to form a society (Celeste, 2004). Both Hobbes and Locke used social contract as a means of explaining their Ideas on the origin

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Most countries follow Hobbes’ ideal state. According to Hobbes, justice and injustice do not exist in nature. This is because of our desire for more and power. In nature, conflict is constant. He states, “that during the time men

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​The natural rights theory was a subject that was discussed by both Hobbes and Locke and it entailed certain natural rights that people are entitled to without government intervention. A state of nature is a condition which is rarely seen today, but nevertheless, represents a place where government does not exist. Because of Hobbes’ connections to the noble families in England, he was able to acquire a unique perspective on the role of government and the role it should play over its ruling citizens. In his view, the natural state of nature is a condition of chaos and should be brought back to order through proper government by means of which the implementation of equal rights can be granted to all people.

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This paper will closely examine the perceptions of the two exceedingly crucial political philosophers in history, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes in their epochs on the different aspects in history or the themes of political theory, authority, and liberty, along with an explanation of their conception of order, disorder and chaos. Throughout history, there have always been many well-known politicians, philosophers, historians, etc. From their performances in life, we can perceive and comprehend their perspectives and concepts of their work and practices. Today, this helps us to comprehend how life was before and what the themes meant at that time. Going back to consider the political theory, authority, and liberty in history, we can take a look at Machiavelli and Hobbes’ perspectives and different features of documents as primary sources, so that we can comprehend how these two great philosophers viewed the themes differently.

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Locke's most important and influential political writings are contained in his Two Treatises on Government. The first treatise is concerned almost exclusively with refuting the argument that political authority was derived from religious authority. The second treatise contains Locke’s own constructive view of the aims and justification for civil government. According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one's life as one best sees fit, free from the interference of others. This does not mean, however, that it is a state of license: one is not free to do anything at all one pleases, or even anything that one judges to be in one’s interest.

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes, two titans of the Enlightenment, work within similar intellectual frameworks in their seminal writings. Hobbes, in Leviathan, postulates a “state of nature” before society developed, using it as a tool to analyze the emergence of governing institutions. Rousseau borrows this conceit in Discourse on Inequality, tracing the development of man from a primitive state to modern society. Hobbes contends that man is equal in conflict during the state of nature and then remains equal under government due to the ruler’s monopoly on authority. Rousseau, meanwhile, believes that man is equal in harmony in the state of nature and then unequal in developed society.

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This state of nature was the conditions in which we lived before there were any political governments to rule over us and it described what societies would be like if we had no government at all. In this essay I will compare the opinions given by each philosopher regarding their understanding of the state and the law. I will also discuss how their theories have influenced our understanding of the law today. Thomas Hobbes – Regarding the State and Law Firstly I would like to begin my discussion with Thomas Hobbes.

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The secondary literature on Hobbes's moral and political philosophy (not to speak of his entire body of work) is vast, appearing across many disciplines and in many languages. There are two major aspects to Hobbes's picture of human nature. As we have seen, and will explore below, what motivates human beings to act is extremely important to Hobbes. The other aspect concerns human powers of judgment and reasoning, about which Hobbes tends to be extremely skeptical. Like many philosophers before him, Hobbes wants to present a more solid and certain account of human morality than is contained in everyday beliefs.

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