Sami

3rd
09/29/15

Hobbes VS. Locke

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are two political philosophers who are famous for their
theories about the formation of the society and discussing man in his natural state. Their theories
are both psychologically insightful, but in nature, they are drastically different. Although they
lived in the same timeframe, their ideas were derived from different events happening during this
time. Hobbes drew his ideas on man from observation, during a time of civil strife in Europe
during the 1640's and 1650's. Locke drew his ideas from a time where Hobbes did not have the
chance to observe the, glorious revolution. In uncivilized times, in times before government,
Hobbes asserted the existence of continual war with "every man, against every man." On this
point, Locke and Hobbes were not in agreement. Locke, consistent with his philosophy, viewed
man as naturally moral.
Hobbes believed that the state of nature was the state of war. Because no morality
existed everyone lived in constant fear of one another. He believed that in the original state of
nature mankind had unlimited rights but with those unlimited rights came the right to harm one
who endangers ones own self-preservation. Hobbes believed that the number one priority in the
state of nature is self-preservation and because mankind had the right to protect themselves at all
costs even if it meant killing another man life would become and endless war of all against all.
Thus the life of all mankind would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Hobbes maintained
that the only way to avoid this life was by a social contract in which man agreed to transfer
sovereignty to a monarchy. The monarchs rule would be absolute but not by divine right.
Leviathan was written in 1651, during the English civil war, and we can conclude that the war
greatly influenced Hobbes political views. He believed that mankind was self-absorbed and

Sami
3rd
09/29/15

Hobbes VS. Locke

could not be trusted in the state of nature and that limits must be placed on freedoms and
inalienable (natural) rights.
Locke on the other hand, perceived the original state of nature to be a state of perfect
freedom to do whatever they wish. Locke believed that law was reason and that reason taught
people that one should not deprive another of his life, health, liberty, or possessions and anyone
who disobeys this should be punished. Locke based his view of the state of nature on the
Christian belief that all men are Gods possessions and no one owns themselves. While Hobbes
believed that people were born vicious and corrupt, Locke believed that the mind was a blank
slate and that people were born with no innate conceptions and that society shaped mankind.
Locke believed that the state of nature was not necessarily bad or good instead it is chaotic since
there is the possibility of war. Because of the chaos men choose to give up the
John Locke and Thomas Hobbes all believed in the state of nature and a social contract
and the importance of the presence of some form of government. Although they had different
views on all of these things they also had some similarities. Regardless of their differences they
all believed that in the state of nature mankinds main priority is self-preservation and that in
order to achieve stability order and protection people must surrender some of their freedoms to a
government. Also they all believed that divine right does not exist the right to rule is given to the
government by the people.