Hobbes and Locke are influential Enlightenment philosophers. This essay is centered on Hobbes and Locke similarities and differences. It enumerates what they agreed and disagreed on.
Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are well-known English philosophers whose contribution to the development of human society is extensive and all-consuming. The ideas and theories of Hobbes and Locke significantly impacted the future views of the societies of Europe and America. These two philosophers’ beliefs and theories concerned sociology, religion, ethics, economy, and politics. They helped to establish political ideas of Western democracy and shape the societies of Europe and America the way they are these days.
While Hobbes laid the foundation of the political thought of Europe and the definition of civil society and the state, Locke elaborates on the concepts such as the self and consciousness. Both of these philosophers created the basis for the European liberal views, natural and initial equality of all the members of society. They became the ground for creating the Declaration of Independence of the United States and the Constitution.
This paper will focus on exploring the most prominent ideas and theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke; it will also compare and contrast their views concerning religion, the theory of social contract, value and property, and political philosophy. Finally, the paper will discuss the contribution of both philosophers to human history and social development and their influence on the establishment of the Constitution of the United States.
Thomas Hobbes: Main Ideas and Theories
Hobbes was born in 1588 in Wiltshire, England (Thomas Hobbes: Moral and Political Philosophy, n. d.). Little is known about his family and early life. Hobbes first acquired his education at a church school and then continued attending a school in his hometown Malmesbury. Hobbes was fascinated by physics, the laws of nature, the mechanics of motion, and matter (Thomas Hobbes: Moral and Political Philosophy, n. d.).
His interest in philosophy derived from his scientific theories, which gradually led Hobbes to start to identify man as separate from nature and one with society and the state. Some of the most well-known literary works of Hobbes are “Leviathan” and “The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic.” Hobbes theorized about the development of civil society and the establishment of political power and authority, which resulted in his contractarian ideas. In other words, Hobbes believed that social contract was the starting point of civil society.
According to this theory, the members of society consciously gave up some of their freedoms and rights to assign a political authority whose objective was to provide social security and protect the remaining rights and freedoms of the individuals (Thomas Hobbes: Moral and Political Philosophy, n. d.). Raised in a religious family where the father was a vicar, educated in a church school, and under the influence of a Puritan tutor, Hobbes did not embrace religion and supported a materialistic point of view in metaphysics.
John Locke: Main Ideas and Theories
Locke was born in 1632 in Somerset, England, in a Puritan family and grew up in a rural town (John Locke, n. d.). He began his education at Westminster School, which was an extremely prestigious affiliation. After graduating, he entered the Christ Church in Oxford. Just like Hobbes, Locke was disappointed by the curriculum taught at his college and read a lot of philosophical works of his contemporaries, such as Descartes. Locke also was fascinated by medicine and soon acquired a bachelor’s degree in this field.
The first difference between Locke and Hobbes is that the latter never obtained any academic degrees, whereas the former had a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Eventually, Locke became a professional physician and even conducted very dangerous medical procedures of that time, such as an operation on the liver, which was successful. Locke’s ideas and views are recognized as the basis for European liberalism in politics and empiricism in philosophy. Just like Hobbes, Locke supported the social contract theory.
Locke emphasized the meaning of tolerance in civil society concerning religion and the equality of its members (John Locke, n. d.). Locke is known for his rather revolutionary way of thinking for his time. The philosopher spoke against absolute monarchy as a form of political authority and supported his understanding of what he called “natural rights,” a concept applied to the rights human beings had naturally due to their culture and customs. Natural rights are characterized as freedoms that the legal systems cannot restrict.
Hobbes and Locke: Comparison and Contrast
Even though Hobbes and Locke lived and worked at slightly different periods of time (Locke was born 44 years later than Hobbes), both are recognized as the prominent thinkers of the 17th century. The two philosophers explored several similar ideas and theorized about the same phenomena. Among the areas Hobbes and Locke explored were social contract theory and human rights, religion, political forces and their power, and the meaning of value and property for society.
Social Contract Theory
Both Hobbes and Locke supported the theory of social contract, which maintains that the governments and political powers do not derive from God, and the rulers do not originate from divine power but are assigned by people. The social contract states that political authority occurs from a social agreement of the members of the society to assign a government to protect their rights and hold power to facilitate order and law.
However, there was one significant difference between the two philosophers’ views on the nature of the assigned government. To be more precise, Hobbes believed that once the rulers are named, they cannot be overthrown by the other members of the society. Locke maintained that rulers should only stay in power as long as they fulfill their duties determined by the social contract and protect the rights of the individuals. In other words, if the social contract is violated, it is no longer active, and the government can be overthrown through a revolution.
Human Nature and Property
Both Hobbes and Locke explored the concept known as the “state of nature.” It refers to the state that reveals the true features of human beings, their natural character. Yet, the two philosophers had absolutely different views concerning what the state of nature entailed and what man’s true character was. Hobbes believed that human beings are naturally aggressive, violent, and self-centered. At the same time, Locke argued that the true nature of people was calm, thoughtful, and peaceful.
It looks like Locke was generally much more optimistic than Hobbes. The natural state of human relationships, according to Hobbes, was the state of war of everyone against everyone. As a result, the need for a social contract and civil society occurred and secured a safer life for individuals. Locke viewed humans as naturally reasonable beings and social agreement – a logical way to achieve equality and fairness in society. As for the meaning of private property, Hobbes believed that property was something that existed while the political and legal forces were in power and established the regulations.
For Locke, the property was characterized as one of the initial rights of humans, and it was naturally respected when humans were in their state of nature, which is peace. Hobbes believed that human beings, due to their natural selfishness, are only interested in their own survival, and this desire to survive motivates the cooperation and creation of a social contract. According to the opinion of Locke, humans are interested in the survival of society as much as in their own due to their altruistic nature (John Locke vs. Thomas Hobbes: Founders of Modern Political Science, 2012). After all, the events when one person saves another person’s life are rather frequent in our society and are not typical for the animal world (apart from the actions motivated by maternal instinct).
Religion
Religion played an essential role in life and the works of Hobbes and Locke. While Hobbes was a convinced materialist and rejected the existence of all incorporeal substances, Locke was a very religious man. He believed in the act of initial creation, which automatically made people God’s property. Hobbes was accused of atheism, yet he always protested against such claims. Hobbes maintained that spirits, divine substances, heaven, and hell existed and were corporeal.
This way, his belief fit perfectly into his materialistic attitude. Moreover, both Locke and Hobbes agreed that the revelation was in tune with human reasoning. However, here the views of the two philosophers differ as Locke believed that humans accept the revelation due to their peaceful and thoughtful nature. At the same time, Hobbes was convinced that people obey the revealed rules following their desire to avoid conflict, as otherwise, war is inevitable without the regulations of a sovereign.
Locke’s religious beliefs penetrated his ideas concerning not only the nature of humans and the cause of social contract but also his views on the political organization of society and the relationship between the ruler and the followers.
Political Philosophy
Locke’s liberalism was based on the philosopher’s idea that humans were initially created equal (this includes gender equality as well). It meant that Locke believed that from the very beginning of times, all human beings shared the same freedoms, which meant that to establish any rules and regulations, the governments required their people’s approval first.
Hobbes had different beliefs on political power. In his opinion, the assigned government was free to enforce the necessary laws, and the people were in power to argue with the government’s decisions. According to Hobbes’ views on the social contract, the presence of the government and its rule was essential to prevent the ultimate social conflict between unregulated human beings who are violent and selfish by nature.
This difference in views of Hobbes and Locke determined their ideas concerning the optimal political systems. The former believed that absolute monarchy was the way to establish harmony in society and secure law and order. The latter rejected royal absolutism and supported constitutionalism as an optimal way to build a society.
This way, it becomes noticeable that the ideas supported by Locke are the basis for the modern understanding of a harmonious political system known as democracy which secures human rights and equality and assigns the governments approved by the population. At the same time, the ideas of Hobbes in terms of politics are today recognized as the old-fashioned model of power, or autocracy, which still is accepted in a number of non-western countries.
Contribution
The ideas and beliefs of Hobbes and Locke described above served as the foundation of contemporary views on political science and the understanding of power. Social contract theory developed by the two philosophers led to the establishment of democracy and the idea that the source of the political power of the government is its people (John Locke vs. Thomas Hobbes: Founders of Modern Political Science, 2012).
Arguing about human nature Hobbes and Locke began a debate that is still happening in modern society – the discussion concerning who we really are – peaceful and respectful creatures or self-centered and violent beasts. Out of the two philosophers, the ideas of Locke influenced the future of society the most. Locke’s theories concerning equality and natural rights, including liberty, property, and life, became the basis for the idea of a legitimate government (Foundations of American Government, 2014).
As a result of Locke’s belief that a failing government can be overthrown by its establishers, the people facilitated the creation of such necessary for the American nation document as the Declaration of Independence proposed by Thomas Jefferson. The ideas of Hobbes and Locke outlined the meaning of power in society and the necessity for a strong and valid leader assigned by the followers and ruling based on their consent. The ideas described by Hobbes and Locke lie at the basis of the Constitution of the United States today and inspire the values of democracy in general.
How Did John Locke’s Beliefs Differ from Those of Thomas Hobbes?
A difference between the ideas of Hobbes and Locke was that they disagreed on whether people are naturally selfish or not. Hobbes believed that people are self-centered and egoistical by nature, while according to Locke, they are reasonable and peaceful.
Conclusion
Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are known as two of the most prominent English philosophers of the 17th century. They came from different environments and had different education and fascinations, yet they theorized about the same concepts and developed similar ideas. Locke and Hobbes agree on various ideas, such as the non-divine origins of political power, the need for a social contract and a government, equal rights and freedoms of all human beings, and the existence of an ultimate state of nature for human beings.
At the same time, the views of the two philosophers drastically differed when it came to a deeper understanding of their beliefs. For example, Hobbes characterized people as naturally violent and self-interested beings, while Locke maintained that people are thoughtful, reasonable, and peaceful by nature.
Hobbes believed in the permanence of the government once it has been assigned. However, Locke believed that should rulers fail their people, it violates the social contract and automatically makes the government invalid. The ideas of Hobbes and Locke concerning the nature and sources of political power in society and the mechanisms of its validity helped to create Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. They lay the basis of the Constitution of the United States.
Reference List
Foundations of American Government. (2014). American Government.
John Locke. (n. d.). IEP.
John Locke vs Thomas Hobbes: Founders of Modern Political Science. (2012). Western Civilization II Guides.
Thomas Hobbes: Moral and Political Philosophy. (n. d.). IEP.