John Locke And The Civil War - 1177 Words

Michael Gilmore Mrs. Sauter World History 15 December 2014 People over People John Adams once said, â€Å"Fear is the foundation of most governments.† Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Karl Marx all grew up in a time of war and witnessed the same events that caused them to create their idea of government. Hobbes learned that people are naturally wicked, Locke learned that people all had natural rights. Karl Marx thought that the social order did not matter. All of them concluded that their governmental plan was the most reliable form of governing. They all had great ideas for government, but John Locke’s ideas would best fit today’s societies, and would best fit in with Adam’s Smith’s ideas. Thomas Hobbes was an enlightened thinker who lived in the 17th century and through the upheaval that was the English Civil War. While observing the Civil War, Hobbes concluded that people are â€Å"naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish† (Ellis 183). Hobbes argued that a strict government was the only way to control people because, without it, they would fight, steal, and oppress each other. He said the only way to keep the people at bay was to have them obey strict laws. His favored government was an absolute monarchy because it â€Å"could impose order and compel obedience† (Ellis 183). In an absolute monarchy, the citizens give up all of their rights in order to be protected by their leader. Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan explained his ideas for society. It was greatly influenced by theShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke And His Ideas Of Rebellion During The English Civil War2071 Words   |  9 PagesJohn Locke was an English writer, and his writings were based on the events that took place during the Glorious Revolution in England in 1689, when the people of England overthrew King James II. John Locke was interestingly enough, brought up in a loyalist and Evangelical family. He was born to a very wealthy family, and received much prestige in Oxford for his connections to the higher ups. Locke presented his ideas of rebellion during the English civil war which took place in the mid-1600s, inRead MoreJohn Locke and Thomas Hobbes Essay1077 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Locke and Thomas Hobbes both believe that men are equal in the state of nature, but their individual opinions about equality lead them to propose fundamentally different methods of proper civil governance. Locke argu es that the correct form of civil government should be concerned with the common good of the people, and defend the citizenry’s rights to life, health, liberty, and personal possessions. Hobbes argues that the proper form of civil government must have an overarching ruler governingRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1426 Words   |  6 Pagesin its history, ultimately serving to influence some of the most phenomenal political philosophers in Europe --Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. England was in constant unrest, choosing new forms of government almost on a whim in desperate attempts to restore order in the Country. The English Civil War in 1642 etched a legacy of dread in the people of England, and the war only appeared more disastrous and fruitless when it became apparent the new Puritanical regime was just as irresponsible as the previousRead MoreThomas Hobbes And The Enlightenment878 Words   |  4 PagesEnglishman born in 1588, is one of the Enlightenment thinkers. Hob bes wrote The Leviathan, published in 1651, observing the violence and behavior of people near the end of the English Civil War. He believed that monarchy is the best government. John Locke, another Enlightenment thinker, is an Englishman born in 1632. Locke wrote Two Treatises of Government, published in 11689,expressing his opinions on the â€Å"state of nature† and types of government. He, on the other hand, believed that democracy is theRead MoreJohn Locke : An Influential Philosopher845 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Locke was perhaps one of the most influential political philosophers of the modern period. In the Second Treatise of Government, John Locke discusses the move from a state of nature and perfect freedom to a then governed society in which authority is given to a legislative and executive power. His major ideas included liberalism and capitalism, state of nature, state of war and the desire to protect one’s property. In his Second Treatise on Government Locke focus’ on liberalism capitalismRead MoreThe Enlightenment Theory Of John Locke1627 Words   |  7 PagesEnlightenment theory philosophies of John Locke offered a future that could drastically change government, economic and social ideals. Thomas Jefferson borrowed liberally from the enlightenment theory from John Locke, specifically focusing on Locks theories of the equality of men, natural rights, and that people should have a say on how the government treated people. Jefferson created a draft document created a bold experiment, America. The enlightenment philosophy of John Locke theorized that that men wereRead MoreThe State Of Nature And Government1315 Words   |  6 PagesState of Nature† are two subject that Hobbes and Locke both discuss in their book. The enlightenment period was a time of Learning, new inventions, new theories, and new government. Two prominent figures that became known during the enlightenment were Th omas Hobbes (1588-1674) and John Locke (1632-1704). These enlightenment authors represent two different side of the political spectrum; Locke represents the right wing with his book â€Å"Second Treatise on Civil Government† and â€Å"A Letter Concerning Toleration†Read MoreJohn Locke And Edmund Burke s Political Rebellion929 Words   |  4 PagesBoth John Locke and Edmund Burke support political rebellion under specific circumstances. What differentiates these two political theorists in their discussions of revolution? Please make reference to both Second Treatise of Government and Reflections on the Revolution in France when answering this question. Cite the texts and be specific. Many philosophers and theorists have spoken on the value, or lack thereof, of revolution. In Second Treatise of Government, John Locke builds the concept ofRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1348 Words   |  6 Pagesthe notion of human nature, based on their own beliefs and experiences. Two of these renowned English thinkers, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, embodied the rising movement of using reason to make judgments on government, society, and the role of the king. Despite approaching the question of human nature with similar foundations, The State of Equality, Hobbes and Locke develop entirely opposing arguments, reflected in their position supporting and opposing an absolute monarch, respectively. Many ofRead MoreHobbes and Locke: Comparing and Contrasting Political Philosophies1738 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are comparable in their basic political ideologies about man and their rights in the state of nature before they enter a civil society. Their political ideas are very much similar in that regard. The resemblance between Hobbes and Locke’s philosophies are based on a few characteristics of the state of nature and the state of man. Firstly, in the state of nature both Hobbes and Locke agree that all men are created equal