Hobbes and Locke.

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Hobbes and Locke

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were famous political Theorists among other things in their time. Hobbes who was born 40 years before Locke had a very different perspective to Locke and both will be examined more through this essay. Even though many of there theories were different in the sixteenth century Hobbes and Locke' s theories became closer as the rise of the state and decline of the feudal system brought about the question of authority.

John Locke born in 1632 he was influenced political thought immensely. He lived during the age of political upheaval. Locke had a theory of natural law and natural right, he believed that a rational purpose to government did exist defending the government as an institution. Locke insisted that not only did a good government care for the well being of it public but the well being of the government to. He believed in gradual social reform and the change in laws rather than revolution. And that we would live in a state of harmony. Locke believed that all men had friendly nature and would do no harm. And that man had to learn for experiences during life. He believed that the state had to protect mans three natural rights life, liberty and property. Locke saw the government as a safeguard to protect the rights of the individuals as the guarantor of society and the consenting government. But he also suggested that people had the right to rebel, to remove governments which failed to fulfil what the society wanted. Locke was a liberalist and believed that people have the right to reserve and restrain offenders, but not to judge them.
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Thomas Hobbes was born in 1588; he lived through the anarchy of the English civil war. Hobbes considered self interest to be the main motive in a man. To be selfish was to get what ever he wanted at the expense of others. Thomas Hobbes came up with the idea of social theory; he identified the importance of government and its relationship with the people. He argued for a strong coercive government which would favour the interest of his specified class.. Hobbes sees people as being run by selfishness where Locke says people are naturally kind. Hobbes' masterpiece ...

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