Locke's Two Treatises Of Civil Government example essay topic

Philosophers do not write outside of history and the times in which they live influence their ideas and those ideas may impact upon future events. The great developments in the political thinking of the seventeenth century took place in England. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were two English thinkers who contributed their ideas to the Enlightenment. Thomas Hobbes published his Leviathan in 1651. John Locke's Two Treatises of Civil Government was published in 1690. The two books argue in favor of political systems that are quite different from each other, but which have continued to be central to political discussion up till present day.

Thomas Hobbes, a mathematician, and John Locke, a philosopher both had great ideas on human society. Both lived during the Thirty Years' war and The English Revolution, which contributed to their beliefs and writings. Thomas Hobbes was born on April 5, 1588, in Westport (now part of Malmesbury), England. Hobbes traveled widely with Cavendish and came into contact with many European philosophers and scientists.

Hobbes was influenced by Galileo, a new system of physics that Galileo and others were working out from their ideas, Hobbes concluded that only matter exists and that everything that happens can be predicted in accordance with exact, scientific laws. He raised fundamental and challenging questions about the relationship between science and religion, the relationship between thought and the physiological processes on which it is based, and the nature and limitations of political power. Troubled by the social disorder of the Civil War and the horrors of the Thirty Years War in Germany, which he stated the case for absolute sovereignty. A great influence on Hobbes's was the English Civil War (1642-1648). People, he concluded, are selfish.

They are moved chiefly by desire for power and by fear of others. Thus, without an all-powerful sovereign to rule them, their lives would be "poor, nasty, brutish, and short. (visual 40) " These views also shocked his contemporaries, "Hobbes's words were harsh and shocking to most English people of his time. (source 337) " Hobbes calls it a social contract, where people give up their natural evil state and entered an organized society, which was in turn controlled by a powerful government. This "powerful government" was Hobbes' name for an absolute monarchy, where the government had more power than the people. He states this in the Leviathan clearly: The only way to erect such a common power, as may be able to defend them from the invasion of foreigners, and the injuries of one another, ... to confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men, that may reduce all their wills, by plurality of voices, unto one will... their person, shall act, or cause to be acted, in those things which concern the common peace and safety; and therein to submit their will, and their judgments to his judgment. (visual 40-2) In his theory he strongly believed in government and someone ruling the people due to the fact that people have "natural impulses to improve their own lot by harming their neighbors. (source 337) " Hobbes died on Dec. 4, 1679. John Locke was born in Wring ton in Somerset County on August 29, 1632. He was an English philosopher.

His writings have influenced political science and philosophy. Locke's book Two Treatises of Government (1690) strongly influenced Thomas Jefferson in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Locke, on the other hand, defended parliamentary government and the limited liberal state. In his book, Two Treatises of Civil Government, Locke stated that all people had natural rights, rights that they had from birth. "Life, liberty, and property" were the most important of these rights; governments, in his opinion, were created to help protect these rights. (source 337) He believed that the ideal government would have limited power and would be accepted by all citizens. If the government failed to do its job as the people intended, the citizens had a right to overthrow it.

Locke, in the Second Treatise, sets out to establish that legitimate government is based on civil consent. Like Hobbes, Locke believed that civil society arose out of civil consent, but unlike Hobbes, Locke argues that everyone, including the sovereign is bound to obey the law in a social contract. The Two Treatises of Civil Government, I found in Jene Porter's Classics in Political Philosophy, which had the whole text. Locke suggests that in the State of Nature there is equality and independence between individuals and that all men are bound by Natural Law to respect each other's Natural rights. Though he admits that sometimes peace and the goodwill in the State of Nature can give way to a State of War, it is nonetheless "a state of liberty... not a state of license. (332) " Locke's assumptions of the State of Nature and the existence of natural rights are central to the arguments on which the other chapters discuss.

In chapter Nineteen, Locke suggests that, "the dissolution of government does not result in the end of civil society and a return to the State of Nature, but that power reverts back to the people so that they may once again establish a new government as they see fit. (379) " Undoubtedly, the greatest legacy of Locke's Two Treatises on Civil Government has been its influence on Liberalism and the shaping of contemporary views on democracy and government. There are three main concepts studied by Locke that have had the greatest impact on political theory: property, human rights and civil government by consent. Locke was to "become the most important political philosopher for the English colonials in North America. (source 337) " Finally, Locke's writings on civil government and democratic rule by consent have formed the basis of modern government in the West, giving rise to both the Parliamentary and Congressional systems prevalent today.

The legacy of his ideas continues with the spread of Western cultural and political hegemony. Locke died in 1704. Locke and Hobbes agree that both a state of war with the legislature justifies revolution, and the majority will never endanger itself. But, If we had Hobbes view, I believe we would still be under British rule since it wants a stronger and absolute government.

This states if we were at war, the government will have to offer us something and we would stay with them. Locke allows revolutions under the rule that the people are not being treated fairly, and under war we should be allowed to revolt. Locke's view allows society to improve and change, while Hobbes wants society to stay the same and keep the rules. His view allowed the people to revolt to make things "better" and change. I agree more with Locke's philosophy then with Hobbes.

Even though, "The English Revolution of the 1640's and the events of the 1680's had given confidence that their views were both correct and workable. (source 337) "

Bibliography

Longmans, Green & Co. "Thomas Hobbes". Ltd... London: 1960.
7) Porter, Jene m., edt. Classics in Political Philosophy. 3rd Ed. (London, Prentice-Hall International, Inc, 2000).