Compare And Contrast Hobbes And Locke

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Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both experienced different things in their life, resulting in their differences and similarities in what they believed. At the time Hobbes was writing The Leviathan, England was recovering from a series of civil wars, which resulted in the beheading of Charles I. In the Leviathan he is responding to this situation a period called the interregnum, during this time England was rejecting the institution of the monarchy. Eventually it ended with the restoration of Charles II. The interregnum period showed Hobbes the chaos because of the decline of the monarchy, shaping his support in the monarchy. Locke also grew up in England but at a later time, and did not experience the interregnum period, but both focused on similar issues of government. Locke was more on the liberal side than Hobbes authoritarianism. Even though they were polar opposites, they both agreed on one thing, the state of nature, but disagreed on what type of government is the best. Locke being the enlightenment philosopher he developed theories of government in which…show more content…
Locke argued that the natural rights were life liberty and property, and no one could take these rights away from you especially property. "the supreme power cannot take from any man any part of his property without his own consent" he believed that the government should not have one complete power, there should be multiple people in charge and the people should have control also. Locke states, "and the community put the legislative power into such hands as they think fit" Locke favored the representative government like the English parliament. On the other hand, Hobbes argued that government should have one complete power to keep peace. Hobbes states "which amongst them that have no common power to keep them in quiet" with one sovereign there could be more consistent power to restore

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