GOVERNMENT
So what is Government?
What
did you do today?
How was government involved?
WHY Government?
 Was
Hobbes right about human nature?
 Do
you agree with Hobbes’ outlook on the
‘Right Kind of Government?
 Would
Hobbes agree with Locke’s idea of
natural rights
 Do
you prefer Hobbes of Lockes ideas
about government?
Social Contract Theorists
& Enlightenment Thinkers
THOMAS HOBBES
JOHN LOCKE
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU
Social Contract Theorists
What is a social
contract?
An agreement among people
defining the rights and duties
of individuals with each
other and with the
government.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
 Hobbes
challenged
Divine Right Theory
 Did not challenge
Monarchy - Any
government is better
than no government.
 Why? Must examine
the State of Nature:
Life without
institutions, a
primitive state before
governments.
Hobbes and the State of Nature
Wrote the Leviathan
 Pessimistic - Man in the
state of nature is
essentially equal and at
“war”
 Without government,
life would be “solitary,
poor, nasty, brutish, and
short.”
 A constant struggle to
survive against the evil
of others

Hobbes and the Social Contract

Out of fear, people want to be ruled.

People enter into a social contract
with the government.

People give up rights and liberties in
order to control society and to
safeguard property.

Individual obedience is necessary in
order to stop the greater evil of an
endless state of war.
John Locke
English
 1632-1704
 An Essay
Concerning
Human
Understandin
g
 Second
Treatise
of Civil
Government

Locke and the State of Nature
State of perfect freedom and equality no
king has the power to void those rights
 All human beings in their natural state
were equal and free to pursue life, health,
liberty and possessions (inalienable rights).
 In this state, everyone is the judge and jury.
 Creates problems – Gov’t remedies these
problems.
 Governments allow man to pursue his goals
more efficiently.

Locke
and the Social Contract



Men enter into a social contract with the
government to preserve life, liberty and property
and to assure justice.
From this state of nature people would not choose
an absolute monarchy, they choose a society
governed by standing laws, with power distributed
among different groups.
If the government acts improperly it breaks the
contract with the people. Revolution in some
circumstances is not only a right, it is an obligation.
Review the Views on the
Social Contract
Hobbes: the social contract restricts conflict in
the state of nature by surrendering power and
instituting justice.
 Locke: the social contract carries man from the
state of nature to be governed in order to
preserve liberties and property rights.
 Rousseau: the social contract limits the power of
the state and brings citizens closer to the state of
nature.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Swiss - French

1712-1778

On The Social Contract,
1762
Rousseau and the State of Nature
“Man is born free, but everywhere
he is in chains.” (Thesis)
 Natural State is freedom, but people
in modern states are not free. Why?
 The only natural society is the family.
 Problems begin when people form
societies.
 Original “tribal” societies were
alright, but the introduction of
property created inequality and
jealousy.
 Cannot return to the natural state so
we form governments to restore
some of our freedoms.

Baron de Montesquieu



“On The Spirit of Laws” 1748
Admired British system
Separation of governmental powers
into three divisions






the executive, who carries out
(executes) the laws
the legislative, who makes the laws,
and the judicial, who interprets the laws.
Tyranny can be avoided by dividing
political power among different
groups. (Separation of Powers)
Tyranny can be avoided by keeping
watch on the other branches of
government (checks and balances)
These would prevent anyone from
gaining a monopoly of power.

State of Nature:
 No
laws
 You
are on your own
 Social
Contact
 Government
 Laws
 Compromises
 Rights
are made
are protected

In both Categories:
 Natural
rights
 Life
 Liberty
 Proberty
Life, Liberty, Property
 Life,
Liberty and property are all
natural rights that people are born
with according to Locke
State of nature/ War
 In
a state of nature, people are
constantly in a state of war because
there are no laws
Government/Social Contract
A
social contract happens when the
people agree to give up some power
and rights in exchange for protection
and services
The
State
The State
• A body of people living in a defined territory,
organized politically, who have the power to make
and enforce laws without the consent of a higher
authority.
• Over 190 “States” in the world.
• A state is a legal entity
• Often called nations - an ethnic term describing
race or other large groups of people
• Often called country - geographic term referring to
a place, region, or area of land.
Four Characteristics of a State
Territory
Population
Sovereignty
Government
Four Characteristics of a State
• Population - Must have people
• Territory – Land with known and recognized
boundaries.
• Sovereignty - It makes its own decisions.
Not reliant on any other nation to decide
for them.
• Government - an organized way to make
and enforce public policies.
Origins of the State
• Force Theory – A group of people claimed control
over an area and forced all within to submit to the
group’s rule
• Evolutionary Theory – The state developed
naturally out of the early family
• Divine Right Theory – God created the state and
gave royalty the “divine right to rule”
• Social Contract Theory – People went into
contract with the state for protection and
promotion of society’s well-being
The Purpose of Government
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Form a more perfect union
Establish Justice
Insure Domestic Tranquility
Provide for the Common Defense
Promote the General Welfare
Secure the Blessings of Liberty