Hobbes and Locke Why do we need Government?

Thomas Hobbes – 16 th Century English Philosopher -What was life like without government? Earliest history, humans lived in unbridled freedom in which no government existed and no person was subject to any superior power What people could take by force …belonged to them No authority to protect one person from the aggressive actions of another The war of ALL against ALL ~Hobbes

Without Government – “continual fear and danger of violent death and life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” – WHAT would bring us out of “the wilderness?”

Your thoughts… American Government GONE! Good illustration? Ultimate Survivor s Graveyar d YES -More people would stick together and try to help each other YES -Less people would be on their own -Multiple groups having different governments -Similar to… YES -Everyone would form groups with each having own opinions and views YES -Possibly forming a confederacy -Radical Groups would split (creating chaos) YES -Split into groups -Familiar with rules system

Who in society would our groups be? SurvivorsNativesPiratesZombies Business/ middle class SouthernersTeenagersPurge Killers Entrepreneurs (people trying to start up new groups to lead) Good citizens who try to continue on CriminalsVery Wealthy people Illegal Immigrants US CitizensConvictsTerrorists and Killers Poor PeopleAverage Americans White CollarPoliticians and people only caring about themselves HomelessMiddle ClassImmigrantsPoliticians But Mrs. Perella…our Government is intact… No State of Nature here in the United States…Groups wouldn’t do that to each other Who agrees?

Memphis teen mob of 125 Poor tipsy tourist…

After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina Even a few cops… They were intent on finding food, shelter, and anything else necessary for their survival People in these instances were not looking out for others or forming alliances.

Is this a reason to pass Citizenship test? YESNO CONCERN FOR YOU?Immigrants know more than us (who were born here) Makes us unsophisticated and unaware, stupid We put people in power offices that might not know anything Each generation will know less and less then NO ONE WILL KNOW Worried about other important things Knowledge doesn’t show your faith to the country Not concerned but we should know answers They are all illegal (LEARN) Not wanting to go into politics PEERS - CONCERN FOR YOU? Unpatriotic if you don’t know Should be aware/know No – I’m young I don’t know Not important – easy to forget A lot of idiots It’s expected we shouldn’t know We are guaranteed citizens Personally no, but whole country yes Don’t need to know all facts

Is this a reason to pass Citizenship test? YESNO DOES IT MATTER?History repeats itself May not directly impact every day life, it’s still important (even just the basics) If you want to be involved/benefits, you should know Selecting good leaders It’s our home (free country – make good decisions) What if something happened? (how to get things back to way they were) Many people are interested in it so I shouldn’t worry Many not every single little thing (just basics) Born right (born here) PEERS - DOES IT MATTER? It’s important More important than just know specific historic al facts Need to know your rights and laws Selecting (voting) your leader (don’t pick bad one) Understanding branches of gov’t Only if you are immigrant If you don’t know, you shouldn’t get to vote Should care about your country History doesn’t matter

John Locke (16 th century Philosopher) Discussed a place where people had no government Also called it “ state of nature ” Question is : In this state, would people’s NATURAL rights be taken away? ?

Natural Rights : Everyone has a right to: 1)LIFE – people want to live and will fight to survive 2)LIBERTY – people want to be as free as possible to make their own decisions 3)PROPERTY – people want to own things that help them survive (land, food, tools) ALL PERSONS HAVE THESE RIGHTS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS (BORN with them) ? ? ? ?

In Locke’s “ State of Nature ”… No rules, no one in charge, no way for people to have their natural rights protected – Locke believed - Everyone is entitled to protect their life and liberty by any means necessary – Ex: If someone tried to kill you, you had the right to do whatever it took to prevent that from happening (Natural Right of Life)

Example: Using Hobbes’ and Locke’s philosophy…In State of Nature Ms. Kalhoon has cut down a tree and worked all day to cut it up in order to make a house for herself

Mr. Franklin comes along and makes her give up all of the wood under the threat of physical violence.

The Question is…? Who should get the wood? Think Hobbes’ and Locke…

Hobbes would answer The war of ALL against ALL Whoever wins out (strongest)

Locke would answer: Since Mrs. Kalhoon worked on that natural resource, she added some value to it and it became her property. If Mr. Franklin just took the wood, it would make Mrs. Kalhoon his slave and that is a violation of her right to liberty. So, in a State of Nature, Mrs. Kalhoon has the right to FIGHT FOR HER CHOPPED WOOD.

Locke’s - disadvantages in a State of Natur e 1.Stronger people might try to take away other people’s lives, liberty, or property 2.Weaker people might band together and take away the rights of the stronger people 3.People would be unprotected and insecure

Both Hobbes and Locke said that Humans overcame their unpleasant conditions by agreeing with one another to create a state (Civil Society) as much power as was needed to promote the safety and well- being of all By SOCIAL CONTRACT – people within a given area agreed to give up (voluntarily) to the state as much power as was needed to promote the safety and well- being of all

Hobbes Argued that people were naturally wicked and could not be trusted to govern (to make decisions on their own). So, people must agree to living together under common laws and create an ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM Therefore, Hobbes believed that an absolute monarchy - a government that gave all power to a king or queen - was best.

Take a look at the cover of one of the books I wrote… Knowing what you know about my beliefs, what do you observe from my choice of graphics ?

Hobbes - religion but sovereign had absolute control (church must bow to supreme civil authority) a giant crowned figure is seen emerging from the landscape, clutching a sword and a crosier (symbolizing a high ranking religious leader), beneath a quote from the Book of Job—"Non est potestas Super Terram quae Comparetur ei. Iob " ("There is no power on earth to be compared to him. Job ")—linking the figure to the monster of that book. crosierBook of Job The torso and arms of the figure are composed of over three hundred persons, in the style of Giuseppe Arcimboldo; all are facing inwards with just the giant's head having visible features Giuseppe Arcimboldo The two sides reflect the sword and crosier of the main figure – earthly power on the left and the powers of the church on the right. Each side element reflects the equivalent power – castle to church, crown to mitre, cannon to excommunication, weapons to logic, and the battlefield to the religious courts. The giant holds the symbols of both sides, reflecting the union of secular and spiritual in the sovereign, but the construction of the torso also makes the figure the state. castlecrownmitrecannon excommunicationweaponslogic battlefieldreligious courts

The best government (state) was one that had the great power of a leviathan (or sea monster) and the sovereign (King) was powerful enough to be beyond challenge Hobbes felt a country needed an authority figure to provide direction and leadership.

Where is the Social Contract if the sovereign would have the right to make any laws he saw fit? ~Hobbes: The only responsibility of the sovereign was to defend the state and keep the peace. There was no direct contract between the sovereign and those who appointed him. **The only contract was the agreement between the people to appoint somebody they would obey. Pirate King…

Hobbes was not in favor of democracy def: supreme authority rests with the people Allowing citizens to vote for government leaders would never work. Why? - People only interested in promoting their own self-interests OUR OWN HISTORY - Founding Fathers Created Electoral College (afraid of Mob Rule) If Hobbes supported having a strong, absolute monarch and believed that people would only promote their own self-interests…what can we question about this…? Isn’t the King a human man, who according to Hobbes, has selfish- interests…what’s going to stop him from carrying out his own selfish agenda?

Hobbes proposed that… A diverse group of representatives presenting the problems of the common person would, hopefully, prevent a king from being cruel and unfair.  an individual could be heard in government by authorizing a representative to speak on their behalf.  Ever heard the phrase… Hobbes came up with the phrase which meant that one person could be chosen to represent a group with similar views. However, this "voice" was merely heard and not necessarily listened to - final decisions lay with... “voice of the people” the king

In other words…The people should CONSENT to follow some laws in exchange for protection that these laws would give them  Create a government to rule them and protect their natural rights

Best form of Government John Locke, in his Two Treatises of Government, begins with the opposite opinion regarding man’s natural state, and concludes that the ideal form of government is democracy. Let’s take a look at a selection from his essay

Locke WAS in favor of democracy According to Locke, the individual was naturally free and only became a political subject out of free choice. – From its very definition, democracy is government by consent. – Therefore, it is evident that Locke’s belief in the government by consent forms bedrock for the belief in democracy

Meaning…Since governments exist by the consent of the people in order to protect the rights of the people and promote the public good, governments that fail to do so can be resisted and replaced with new governments.

Ex: King Charles I was accused of treason against England by using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of the country. He was beheaded in January 1649.

Ex: Declaration of Independence justified its revolution through the Social Contract Theory (Locke) arguing King George III and his ministers had violated the contract

Locke wrote Second Treatise one year after the Glorious Revolution of 1688  Justifies the revolution Blood-less coup which led to the overthrow of King James II in 1688 and the establishment of William and Mary as monarchs Abolished absolutism and established a constitutional monarchy in England in which parliament had basic sovereignty over the king. The Glorious Revolution led to the 1689 English Bill of Rights (later) NO!

King James II became directly involved in the political battles in England between Catholicism and Protestantism, and between the Divine Right of Kings and the political rights of the Parliament of England.Divine Right of KingsParliament of England – James also created a large standing army and employed Catholics in positions of power within it. To his opponents in Parliament this seemed like a prelude to arbitrary rule, so James prorogued Parliament without gaining Parliament's consentstanding armyprorogued

An 'Absolute Monarchy' meant the king had the power to do do anything without any constraint by law or parliament A 'Constitutional Monarchy' meant the king acted as a figurehead whose power was limited by parliament – Locke believed, contrary to claims that God had “made all people naturally subject to a monarch”, that people are “by nature free

The Glorious Revolution led to a spate of short-lived rebellions in the colonies which can be seen as precursors to the American Revolution.

* Rebellion was not justifiable *destructive and disastrous (state of nature) *it is better to keep the devil you know, rather than trade him for the devil you don’t know ~Hobbes

Basic Comparison

Examine an example of Social Contract: Mayflower Compact

Homework – What does Compact mean? Highlight (a – c)

Background On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower departed from England with 102 passengers. Virginia Company got charter ( Def: written grant of authority to make laws “for the good and welfare” of the colony) to establish a colony (fishing) The Pilgrims had obtained permission from English authorities to settle in Virginia, whose northern border at the time extended up to what is now New York After a 65-day ocean journey, the Pilgrims sighted Cape Cod (Provincetown) on November 19, Who were these “Pilgrims”? Poor or middle class landless individuals Contract to Work 7 years  GET LAND

Problem  Not the originally contracted land Intended to settle near the mouth of the Hudson River BUT  dangerous shoals and a near shipwreck on their attempt to head south, they decided instead to plant themselves outside the bounds of the Virginia Company patent Many mutinous speeches … boasted that "they came ashore, they would use their own liberty, for none had the power to command them, the patent they had being for Virginia and not New England, which belonged to another Government, with which the Virginia Company had nothing to do". What stopped them? FAILURE! 1580s ROANOKE (Lost Colony) 1570s Spanish Colony of AJACAN (Chesapeake Bay)

The Mayflower Compact was an attempt to establish a temporary, legally-binding form of self-government until such time as the Company could get formal permission from the Council of New England.  Social-Contract! What does Compact mean? Signed by ALL 41 (adult males) of the ship's 101 passengers What did they agree to?

Hobbes Locke What is a Social Contract and Why Do We Need to Form A Civil Society? Leviathan meaning  Best Government? Where is the Social Contract? Democracy – Feelings? Problems with “best government?” How to keep “problem” in check? They must be punished with accordance on the existing laws of the civil society What if PEOPLE violate the Contact? They must be punished with accordance on the existing laws of the civil society What if the RULER violates the Contact? Supplement for Intro Notes Lecture 1

Reminder… Preamble Homework for tomorrow - identify the purposes of government