LOCKE VS HOBBES –
ON THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
John Locke
Thomas Hobbes
1632 - 1704
1588 – 1678
England
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
R
O
L
E Humans need an absolute
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.
O
F
G
O
V
T
monarchy to keep order