Hobbes, Locke, And Rousseau s Theory Of Government

Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau: Who Has the Most Scripturally Correct Theory of Government? Katherine Shoemaker GOVT 302-B01 Professor Stephen Witham Liberty University Outline I. John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the three philosophers that have the most developed view of human nature as it applies to government. a. Each of these philosophers has a literary work or works that look at human nature and its application to government. b. We will be examining Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Rousseau in On the Social Contract and Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, and Hobbes’s view in Leviathan. c. The specific topics to be examined through comparison of these different works are human nature, natural law, origin and purpose of government, civil disobedience, right of revolution, and government and religion. II. The nuances of human nature in the state of nature are the first area to look at. a. Thomas Hobbes held that in the state of nature, man is instinctively bad. b. In Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, he expressed the opposite, believing that man is not instinctively bad. III. John Locke believed that man is inherently good, peaceful, and able to fulfill their promises. a. This view is in stark contrast with the views of both Rousseau and Hobbes. b. Locke defines the state of nature as, â€Å"[m]en living together according to reason without a common superior on earth with authority to judge between them, is properly the state ofShow MoreRelatedThe Social Contract Theory Since The United States1449 Words   |  6 PagesFor this discussion, I am keen to discuss the Social Contract theory since I see this fundamental theory still directly affects today s politics in the United States as well as around the world. 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