LOCKE VS HOBBES ON THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

LOCKE VS HOBBES – ON THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT John Locke Thomas Hobbes 1632 - 1704 1588 – 1678 England

LOCKE VS HOBBES Two Treatises on Government (1690) B O O K Leviathan (1651)

LOCKE VS HOBBES The Glorious Revolution (bloodless) A positive version of Hobbes Wrote to justify the Glorious Revolution Justify removal of James II M O T I V A T I O N Depressed about the beheading of Charles I in the English Civil War (1649) He speculated about the nature of government and man

LOCKE VS HOBBES With a “clean slate” Free and equal with 3 natural rights: (from God) Life, Liberty, Property (influences Jefferson) H U M A N S A R E B O R N Selfish – Humans are motivated by self- interest and the quest for power Natural law is kill or be killed

LOCKE VS HOBBES F A M O “All mankind. . . being all U S equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions. ” Q U O T E “Without government, life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. ”

LOCKE VS HOBBES 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. R O L E O F G O V T Humans need an absolute monarchy to keep order