Locke And Hobbes
The formation of government is one of the central themes for both Hobbes and Locke. Whether or not men naturally form a government, or must form a government, is based on man’s basic nature. According to Hobbes, a government must be formed to preserve life and prevent loss of property. According to Locke, a government arises to protect life and property. Governments are born of inequality and formed to administer equality.
Hobbes goes into a lot of detail concerning man’s interactions with one another including ways in which man can seek to live "together in Peace, and Unity" (page 69). However, Hobbes focuses on the interactions of man seeking the same goal. In any system of ...
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of themselves as leaders, the "Men that have a strong opinion of their own wisdome in matter of government, are disposed to Ambition" (page 72).
According to Hobbes "Nature hath made men so equall, in the faculties of body, and mind; as that though there bee found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body, or of quicker mind then another; yet when all is reckoned together, the difference between man, and man, is not so considerable" (page 86-87). Furthermore man tend to see himself as wisest in matters, whether or not others may do things better, and that there is no great sign of equal distribution, "than that every man is contended with his share" (page 87).
Hobbes and Locke consider the formation of government from man’s own nature, whether or not government is formed because man is a social animal or if government is formed to preserve society. According to Locke, man must not "think that all government in the world is the product only ...
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joined to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property" (page 18). Therefore, everything belongs to mankind in general, until a man decides to take it upon himself to acquire something from its pure state in nature, and since he has to work to achieve this, the fruits of the labor are his.
Locke also believes that if somebody takes more than he can use, and it spoils, or if somebody takes more land than he can cultivate, or if somebody allows crops to whither without being picked, they are committing crimes against humanity. However if somebody takes an acre of land, and by planting on it and harvesting the crop produces the same amount of food that can ...
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"Locke And Hobbes." Essayworld.com. August 1, 2004. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Locke-And-Hobbes/11925.
"Locke And Hobbes." Essayworld.com. August 1, 2004. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Locke-And-Hobbes/11925.
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