LOCKE VS HOBBES – ON THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT Thomas Hobbes 1588 – 1678 England John Locke England

LOCKE VS HOBBES BOOKBOOK Two Treatises on Government (1690) Leviathan (1651)

LOCKE VS HOBBES HUMANSAREBORNHUMANSAREBORN With a “clean slate” (tabula rasa) Free and equal with 3 natural rights: (from God) Life, Liberty, Property (influences Jefferson) Selfish – Humans are motivated by self- interest and the quest for power Natural law is kill or be killed

LOCKE VS HOBBES ST A T E of N A T U R E If no govt, people will have no rules, no one in charge, and no way for peoples natural rights to be protected BUT Governments job is to protect those natural rights, not squash them for safety sake Everyone has a right to everything Ppl always at war to get what they want No inventions, art, or culture bcuz ppl afraid they’ll be stole Life is miserable w/o a strict ruler

LOCKE VS HOBBES FAMOUSQUOTEFAMOUSQUOTE “All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.” “Without government, life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

LOCKE VS HOBBES ROLEOFGOVTROLEOFGOVT Government exists by consent of the governed People agree to be governed if government protects 3 natural rights People can break the contract (revolt) if gov’t violates rights. Humans need an absolute monarchy to keep order One Ruler, w/ all the power, to keep control of country

LOCKE VS HOBBES S o ci al C o nt r a ct People agree to give up some freedoms, but ONLY if the govt agrees to protect everyone’s rights If govt fails to deliver, people have the right to revolt and overthrow the govt. People give up some of their rights in exchange for protection. Believed once people agreed to hand over power in exchange for protection, they lost the right to overthrow, replace, or even question the government