Thomas Hobbes and John Locke

1. Thomas Hobbes (political):
- Leviathan
- The security of all individuals could be achieves only at the expense of their individual sovereignty
- Human nature is characterized by fear, violence, and dangerous self-interest – in other words extreme
individualism – where people are only looking out for themselves and hurting anyone in the way
- If everyone is free, then everyone is in danger, and that we all need security more than freedom
- It is possible to have both freedom and security.
“Life is nasty, brutish and short”
John Locke:
- Opposed the authoritarianism of the church and the state, and believed that the individual had the right to use their
reason and logic to make their own decisions
“Reason must be our last judge and guide in everything”
- Believed in Social contract; whereby people give up some of their natural rights to a government in order to
receive social order and security for themselves and their property.
-Government should be accountable to the people
- Private property or right of individuals to protect and keep what they owned.
- People are rational, intelligent, and reasonable(can make decisions)
-the source of power was the people themselves not God
-The only reason government exists is to protect life, liberty and property which is why people give up their natural
state of freedom to enter into a civil society
- Government action should be justified by popular consent
-Government is allowed to tax, but must be to the person’s own consent
-believed in democracies
“People should not fear the government, government should fear the people. If the government didn’t act in the
same goodness of the people it is the people’s responsibility to revolt.”
PEOPLE RULING PEOPLE IN THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE
People can be influenced
People, life and freedom are bad
Security is more important than
freedom

2. Locke-private property
Against church power
Social contract
People are reasonable
Government is made to protect