What Are The Similarities Between John Locke And Thomas Hobbes

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John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were two English Philosophers, both interested in politics. John Locke was born on August 29, 1632. His father was a lawyer and a small land owner who was on the Parliamentarian side during the Civil War. Locke focused on the standard curriculum of logic, metaphysics, classics and studied medicine. Later in his life he contributed with the development of Liberalism, was appointed as a physician to Shaftesbury’s household, and wrote the Two Treatises of Government. Thomas Hobbes was born on April 5, 1588. HIs father was a quick tempered deputy of a small church. Thomas took a traditional Arts degree, and developed interest in maps. He worked for wealthy and stylish Cavendish family. He was a translator, traveling …show more content…

They both believed that there should be peace, but Hobbes had a few preferences. Locke defines political power as the right to make law for protection and regulation of property. He thinks that these laws are only accepted by people because they are for the public good. Lock also thinks that all men are in original state of nature. A man in this original state is bound by the laws of nature, but otherwise he can do whatever he wants with his possessions. Human beings have an obligation to protect each other’s interests since they are all God’s children, and they are all the same in his eyes. But there is also the obligation to punish the ones that go against God’s will. The people can be punished by compromising their life, liberty, and possessions. He summarizes the differences between the state of nature and the state of war. In the state of nature people live together, governed, but without need of common superior. He states that there is a difference between the war of society and the war of nature.In society war ends with an act of force, while in nature the war isn’t over until the aggressive party offers peace.
Hobbes, on the other hand, believes that perfect commonwealth is ruled by sovereign power to protect the security of commonwealth and is granted absolute authority to ensure common defence. “The Leviathan” strictly argues that civil peace and social unity are most likely achieved by common wealth through social contract. Hobbes prefers wealth over anything else, and he thinks that the wealthier you are the more power you should have. He attempts to prove the necessity of the Leviathan is to keep peace and prevent civil

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