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Akeson

Stuart Akeson
Mrs. Cmaylo
Introduction to Philosophy
May 2. 2011

Thomas Hobbes and John Stuart Mill
http://plato.stanIord.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/#MaiPolWri
Thomas Hobbes:
Thomas Hobbes. as almost all pessimists throughout history. is viliIied. His belieI that
government is best suited to the people when it is at the apex oI its power made him wildly
unpopular among his contemporary counterparts especially the notoriously devious John Locke.
Hobbes` basic belieI stems Irom the issue oI human nature. and the Iact that all governments
limited by the people`s willingness to place power in that government coupled with the
non-absolute nature oI that government`s power will eventually lead to the downIall oI that
government through the vehicle oI civil war. In deIense oI his argument Hobbes considers the
state oI nature. or the state in which there is no governing body. where each individual is entirely
on their own to act as iudge. iury. and executioner when any issue arises. Hobbes goes on to say
that. in Iact. in the absence oI ruling bodies the very structure upon which human society is built
would Iail.
Through this state oI chaos Hobbes believes that he has iustiIied the existence oI
government to rational thinking people. or those who are willing to bind themselves in a social
contract to essentially achieve the possibility oI happiness. Hobbes argues that the legitimacy
oI a government is not determined by how the government was Iormed or Ior what reasons that
government was Iormed. only that that government is capable oI deIending those willing to
submit themselves to it Irom both external and internal threats.
In the view oI Hobbes a government must exercise complete control over those who
are willing to submit themselves to that government because anything less than complete
control opens up weaknesses in that government that could be exploited to the detriment oI
the people. And since Hobbes` view on the legitimacy oI a government is that the government
is only legitimate when it can protect those that have submitted to that government`s power
any government that has a weakness allowing Ior the ill eIIect to Iall upon the people is not a
legitimate government. This is. oI course. in a 'perIect world that Hobbes theorizes about this
government where absolute control is possible.
However Hobbes leaves himselI an escape route in his own philosophy. He claims that
despite people having to submit complete control to the government they don`t actually have
to submit complete control to the government. instead they should submit only to the point that
when their lives are in danger they can resist their government and Iight Ior survival. no matter
with whom they end up Iighting.
Finally Hobbes tackles religion in the most round about. halI oI his most proliIic text. sort
oI way and to this day Hobbes` view on religion remain misty. The two theories are that either
he did or did not believe that religion worked with his theory oI government. Some argue that
his absolute submission is congruent with Christianity`s god while others argue his so called
Christianity is actually a sardonic approach to show his reads the ridiculous nature oI their beliIs.



Akeson
John Stuart Mill:
Overall Goal:
To distinguish between the public and private domains according to his
own personal and philosophical belieIs.
- Believed there was a realm that was genuinely the concern oI
society
- Believed there was a realm that was genuinely the concern oI the
individual
General Theory: John Stuart Mill generally theorized that Government`s only
legitimate interIerence with the individual is when the government is preventing an individual
Irom doing harm to other individuals.
- Mill approved greatly oI the American 'Bill oI Rights
- Especially the clause allowing the Ireedom oI assembly
- Also believed Iirmly in Laissez-Fair economical practices.
The Iree hand. essentially selI governing economics.
Issues: What constitutes harm?
- Many dissenters oI Mill raise the issue oI what exactly is constituted as
harm? In Iact how can any government create a obiective deIinition oI harm without
overstepping their rights as a government while simultaneously preventing their citizens Irom
coming to harm.

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