Thomas Hobbes And John Locke example essay topic

It is no secret that the Declaration of Independence, one of which writers was Thomas Jefferson, was greatly affected by the political and cultural works of other people. We now know for sure that the Bible, Aristotle, and many others influenced the Declaration very much. However many argue that the primary influences arrive from the works of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, the political figures of the seventeenth century England. Below I will try to find and examine the influences of the aforementioned persons on one of the main documents of the United States. Hobbes and Locke Political philosophy was reborn in the Renaissance and expanded upon in the Enlightenment. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two men that appeared at this time, and both changed the course of human and governmental thought.

Hobbes supported the absolutism of the 17th and 18th centuries and Lockes concept of the social contract inspired revolts like the French Revolution, the Glorious Revolution, and the American Revolution. Though both of the thinkers worked at the same period of time, their works were of different directions and based on different fundamental approaches to the nature of humans and the concept of governance. Hobbes, basing his reasoning on the Machiavellian theory, believed in one absolute ruler that made all of the decisions. Such a harsh force is required to get anything accomplished in such a warped world. People recognize the need of the dictator since without the strict unquestionable laws would limit a mans rights to ensure the safety of others.

Basically Hobbes suggests that people provide the leader with authority. This is a sort of social contract where people agree to give a little power to a ruler who will do with that power what is necessary to keep human nature suppressed. Locke speaks of a social contract as well, just in a more positive sense. His view of government is built around the same idea of the subjects giving up some rights in order to secure themselves.

This social contract is not one to preserve life, as Hobbes believed it was, but to regulate property and a mans right to own it. When men agree to a social contract similar to this, they are in essence lending their right to judge others and to govern themselves to one government. In this government, the majority holds the right to rule on behalf of the minority, and all men agree to follow and submit to the determinations and rulings of the government. Upon the analysis of the above information I came to a conclusion that Hobbes principle of the state resembled the situation before the Independence - the most of the authority belonged to England. Conversely, when working at the text of the Declaration of Independence Jefferson implemented Lockes idea, which is similar to today's democracy. Of Commonwealth by Thomas Hobbes, and Of the Limits of Government by John Locke are the two works that affected the fathers of the Declaration.

However, I think that the only essay of the really used by the founding fathers was Of the Limits of Government by John Locke. It would be difficult to overestimate the influence and importance of John Locke's life and writings on the subsequent history of the western world. Thomas Jefferson referred to Locke as one of "the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any exception". In writing the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson drew heavily on the doctrines concerning the general principles of liberty and the rights of man which Locke set forth in his work; Of Civil Government.

In particular, in the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson copied Locke's words, "Life, liberty and property" which were subsequently changed to "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Locke is most renowned for his political theory. Contradicting Thomas Hobbes, Locke believed that the original state of nature was happy and characterized by reason and tolerance. In that state all people were equal and independent, and none had a right to harm another's life, health, liberty, or possessions.

The state was formed by social contract because in the state of nature each was his own judge, and there was no protection against those who lived outside the law of nature. The state should be guided by natural law. In his work called Of Dissolution of Government John Locke wrote: [The government is dismissed when] when a prince sits up his own arbitrary will in place of the laws. This is very similar to the words of the Declaration: when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. The whole idea of the states governing principle, which is written in the Declaration of Independence, is modified concept of the government as proposed by John Locke. Thomas Hobbes is the founder of the theories of Hobbism, which calls on absolute monarchy in order to deal with what he calls inherently selfish, aggrandizing nature of humanity.

The Declaration of Independence states that in order for the individuals to secure their unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". Of Commonwealth could only be related to the thinking of the founding fathers in a most basic way to their ideals. Thomas Hobbes also seems to be a syllogistic thinker like Aristotle because he never thinks above elemental, getting his most basic logical conclusions from observations of nature and number two, for thinking along philosophical lines that don't agree with the Biblical perspective. Hobbes sees man as an elevated creature capable of self-governing, self-evolving conduct. Hobbes doesn't understand the Biblical view of fallen man, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Hobbes also fails to see the need for a separation of powers in Government when he talks about an absolute monarchy and the Commonwealth being the solution to government.

Another very famous saying by Thomas Hobbes has found its form in the Declaration. Hobbes wrote: Where there is no common power, there is no law; where no law, no injustice. Hobbes also introduced the following concept: The only way for human beings to live together peacefully and securely, is if everyone will confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men that may reduce all their wills, by majority of voices, unto one will and therein to submit their wills to his will, and their judgments to his judgment. Until today this concept serves as the basement for the most of the constitutions and legislative acts of the developed countries. It seems pretty clear to me when I read The Declaration of Independence and when I read quotes from the founding fathers and their contemporaries that it was the work of a collective mind. There are many similarities in most of them, seems that the universal understanding of those times was present everywhere.

Bibliography

The Declaration Of Independence. web Nov. 23, 2003.
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes. web contents. html Nov. 23, 2003.
Second Treatise of Civil Government. web Nov. 23, 2003.