Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were famous English philosophers who became the classics of 17th-century political thought. They considered such issues as the state of nature, the social contract, the right of revolution, limits of power, and property rights. Although their political and philosophical views had something in common, they are most often contrasted.
John Locke thought that people had natural rights, and the government could not deprive citizens of them. He stated that humankind’s natural state implied people’s freedom and equality. He also declared that before the appearance of societies and governments, people enjoyed unlimited freedom and could do whatever they wanted.
However, according to Locke, the social contract is needed because it protects people’s natural rights of property, life, and liberty. So, he believed that property right was an essential and inherent part of human life. Locke stated that the power should be limited, and leaders had the right to assume power only with the governed’s approval. Moreover, the ruled had the right to elect the government and to overthrow it when their rights were abused.
On the contrary, Hobbes believed that the best form of government was an absolute monarchy and that the ruler could overturn humankind’s natural state. He argued that people were selfish and cruel; that is why the natural state meant war. According to Hobbes, the social contract is the way to keep the peace between the authority and the governed. From his point of view, the revolution is harmful to society and can only bring chaos. Hobbes also thought that individual property rights would negatively influence society and become the cause of the war.