Much of the American Government used today comes from fellow philosophers who with their help; helped put our country in order. John Locke proposed that humans are born with natural right laws; Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the United States Constitution, Representative Government (Republic) and Limits
Locke believed that every person has rights including the rights to life, liberty, and property. Locke also believed that governments should be for the good of people, as quoted in source A “The purpose of government is the good of mankind” (John Locke). These ideas were expressed in the French Revolution,
When the United States was being founded, the men charged with the creation of this novel system of government drew inspiration from a number of well-known English political philosophers. One of the most overt influences, not merely on the Constitution, but even the Declaration of Independence, was John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. His depiction of both the State of Nature and its transition into civil society served as the mirror to the American notion and understanding of the purposes of government. Another less discussed but no less intrinsic influence on the founding document came from Thomas Hobbes in his work, Leviathan.
John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were early English philosophers who each had very different views on the roles of the government and the people being governed. Their interpretations of human nature each had a lasting and vast impact on modern political science. Locke believed that men had the right to revolt against oppressive government. “‘Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”
Hobbes argued that once an individual is a part of an absolute monarchy, they no longer have the rights to branch away from the government. He created the idea that people who are a part of this absolutist society cannot fight against the authority because it provides protection for the people. Locke had another viewpoint which regarded the protection of the people, but he saw it in a civil society. Locke explained that the social contract was the result of men who had the equal rights as a natural concept of life. He preached that all men have rights and freedom to express their opinions and protection of their property.
The age of enlightenment was a philosophical peak in history that set a course for the rest of time. Many different ideas were brought about that shaped the way we live to this day, especially here in the states. Two philosophers in particular affected the United States of America; Thomas Hobbes and Tom Locke. Both of these philosophers pasts formed their philosophy and the ideas they had, which affected the government of their time, and our government today. Hobbes and Locke had very different upbringings and backgrounds, which led them to having very different points of view on life.
John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft all said that society can be made better by giving the people free will. John Locke was a great example of the philosophers who wanted the people to have freedoms. Locke thought that the government should be people focused and that the people need to have a say. Locke recommended a legislative and executive branch of the government. (Doc A) Locke believed that the king should have very limited power, giving Parliament more.
Locke helped shape the United States government and many other nations governing systems around the world. Locke believed all men were born with the rights of life or your natural rights of liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and a government should protect and respect the rights of individuals. Under the protection of your government he believed “whom the society hath set over itself, with this express or tacit trust, that it shall be employed for their good, and the preservation of their property: now this power, which every man has in the state of nature, and which he parts with to the society in all such cases where the society can secure him, is to use such means, for the preserving of his own property, as he thinks good, and nature allows him; and to punish the breach of the law of nature in other” (Document C). By introducing natural rights the common people gained more power through an equality between all men. Natural rights gave people the right to possess and protect their own property both physical items and personal ideals.
"- Thomas Hobbes. He argued that we should have equal rights and that no one should have power over someone else. This influenced the government that the society would not survive without a well-built government and without the thoughts of Thomas Hobbes, people wouldn’t have the rights they have today. Thomas Hobbes had a significant amount of events in his early life that led him to become important.
John locke being the one of the three great empiricists and a modern political philosopher. His political theory was inalienable rights .He believed that we was the property of god and that's where the rights came from .Establishing the negative rights for the people ,the people us humans has the inalienable rights of life,liberty and property and also the pursuit of ones goal. Adopting the social contract theory .John Locke use this form of government because he believed that it was in contradiction to his thoughts and ideas to his inalienable rights.
Locke believes the purpose of government is to help the people not oppress them. In Locke’s point of view, “Governments existed, among other things, to promote public good, and to protect the life, liberty, and property of its
His writings heavily shaped how involved we are now in our government and how much our government benefits us. Locke believed that everyone should have a say in the government and that power should be divided. Locke was one of the first to reject the idea that some are divinely chosen to rule over others. Accordinging to Locke the purpose of government is to help everyone achieve equal natural
John Locke was known for his influential work ‘Two Treatises of Government’, the idea that political authority should be based on the consent of the governed. Locke emphasized the natural rights that included life, liberty,
During the Enlightenment time, Hobbes was one of the philosophers who supported the government in such ways. Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher who lived during the 17th century; he was considered a unique and original philosopher since he had completely different ideas than the other philosophers. During the Enlightenment, Hobbes thought of ideas about the key to the Enlightenment with some thinking and research, he ended up with a statement which was called Leviathan. The statement of Hobbes says that every human were naturally born cruel, greedy, and selfish. Which means that every single person in this world can be evil, even though the person could be very kind and friendly to everyone.
Locke’s vision of continual consent to governmental rule is much more appealing than Hobbes’s tyrant. Even though his views on human nature seem too good to be true, Locke’s philosophy is alluringly practical. If you do not agree with your government, simply leave and find another government you do agree with. Additionally, Locke’s plan protects the citizens by giving them leave to make their own decisions. Hobbes’s view is doubly flawed: his opinion on human nature forces his government to fail morally.
