Thomas Hobbes
and John Locke both experienced different things in their life,
resulting in their differences in what they believed. At the time
Hobbes was writing The Leviathan, England was recovering from a
series of civil wars, which resulted in the beheading of Charles I.
In the Leviathan he is responding to this situation a period called
the interregnum, during this time England was rejecting the
institution of the monarchy. Eventually it ended with restoration
of Charles II. The interregnum period showed Hobbes the chaos
because of decline of the monarchy, shaping his support in the
monarchy. Locke also grew up in England but at a later time, and
did not experience the interregnum period, but both focused on
similar issues of
government.
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They both
thought that man is created equal and has perfect freedom, and the
brutality of the state of nature. The brutality of the state is
caused by man being self-interested. As Locke states "perfect
freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions
and persons, as they think fit" man had freedom with his actions if
he wants to destroy another's man things or that man if he wants.
Hobbes quote reflects on Locke's idea that man is brutal "if any
two men desire the same thing which nevertheless they cannot both
enjoy, they become enemies
endeavor to destroy or subdue one
another" if two people cannot have the same thing, because of man
being selfish he is not going to let the other take the item form
him, so he is going to do whatever it takes to get it for himself.
Hobbes break down nature of man into three principals "First,
competition; secondly, diffidence, thirdly, glory." He describes
competition as man invades another man with violence for himself to
gain what he has fought for. Diffidence is to defend what you
fought for their safety and not to let anyone else take it away for
you. Locke describes diffidence in sections 6 "but where some
nobler use than its bare preservation calls for it" if someone
tries to take your things you have to defend them. Lastly glory,
once you have taken and defended the things you wanted you can
celebrate. Aside
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Locke argued
that the natural rights were life liberty and property, and no one
could take these rights away from you especially property. "the
supreme power cannot take from any man any part of his property
without his own consent" he believed that the government should not
have one complete power there should be multiple people in charge
and the people should have control also. Locke states, "and the
community put the legislative power into such hands as they think
fit" Locke favored the representative government like the English
parliament. On the other hand, Hobbes argued that government should
have one complete power to keep peace. Hobbes states "which amongst
them that have no common power to keep them in quiet" with one
sovereign there could be more consistent power to restore peace.
Today we see that John Locke is more relevant today in the world.
His ideas of the legislative government are all over the world. We
see this in the voting system in the United States, the whole
population gets to make the decisions not just one power. Also, the
idea of If the government should fail to do its job, its citizens
would have the right to overthrow the government. Locke influenced
Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Although we do not use the exact ideas of John Locke we use the
concept of his ideas in everyday
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