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Thomas Hobbes Research Paper

447 Words2 Pages

“It is not wisdom but authority that makes a law,” said Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes was an influential philosopher during the Age of Enlightenment, 1650 - 1800. John Locke was also a well-known philosopher during that time and he was opposed to Thomas Hobbes’s beliefs about human nature. Hobbes’s believed that humans were naturally greedy and selfish, while Locke believed they were reasonable and good. This topic has been debated for ages and is still debated today. I myself have to agree with Thomas Hobbes’s beliefs about human nature. Humanity’s true inner nature is selfish and greedy because humans have evolved with instincts and tendencies that are seen as self-serving. Thomas Hobbes believed that humans are naturally cruel, evil, and selfish. Hobbes also believed that without a functioning government, humans will reveal their true nature and survive by any means. Without laws that have been placed by a government, humans would be free to do whatever they pleased. However, Hobbes also believed that a government was established to control the true nature of humans. …show more content…

Locke believed that humans were fair and good, which contradicted Thomas Hobbes’s beliefs on human nature. John Locke also believed that a government should be present to control society. Locke stated that a government is morally just and was welcomed.
Proof of Thomas Hobbes’s beliefs can be clearly seen today. Of the 3,400 years of recorded human history, only 268 of those years have had no wars. There have been around thirty to forty wars this year alone. Humans naturally serve themselves and tend to push others down so they can climb

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