Thomas Hobbes and John Locke

Thomas Hobbesand John Locke

• Limited Government- gov. does not have absolute authority.

• State of nature- how humans would act in their most basic state without a civil government (savage, selfish, no concern for justice or mercy toward other men)

• State of war- in the state of nature, people were always at war with each other

Thomas Hobbes• Hobbes lived through the English Civil War• Wrote “Leviathan”• Thought the first people on Earth lived in chaos

(state of nature)• Social Contract- people give up individual liberty

for group safety and social order• Life without government was short nasty and

brutish. People were naturally wicked and could not be trusted to govern themselves

• Only the strong survive, the weak need the gov.– absolute monarchy- best form of government

Hobbes Quote

• “humans are driven by a perpetual and restless desire for power that ceases only in death.”

Trail of Tears: Robert Lindneux

• What image is the artist trying to portray in this picture?

• Whose rights are being violated and why?

• Who is responsible for the “trail of tears”?

• What is the relationship between the “trail of tears” and the idea of limited government?

Richard Nixon• What event in

history does this image portray?

• Do you believe that this picture represents a man in a state of nature? Why or why not?

President Richard Nixon pounds his fist on the podium as he answers a question during his televised appearance.

Israeli/Palestinian conflictand war in Africa

• What is the conflict represented in this picture?

• Do you believe the fighting between the Israeli’s and the Palestinians illustrates a state of war?

A Palestinian youth throws a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during clashes in the West Bank

Civil war over minerals to make our lives nice and dandy (Tantalum)

John Locke

• Just joking!!!• Hahaha, bet none

of you know the name of this show?????

The real John Locke

• Also lived in England during the English Civil war

• Wrote: Two Treaties of Government• agreed with Hobbes that people needed gov’t• Social Contract- people only gave up some of

their rights– people should have rights that could never be

taken away– Natural Rights (rights that can’t be taken away)• Right to enjoy life, liberty, and own property

Locke Continued

• What should happen if these rights are denied by the government?– The ruler is a tyrant and should be overthrown

From these Philosophies…

• Parliament passed the English Bill of Rights– Limits on gov (Par. Chooses ruler, king-no taxing)– Protected rights of the people • Did not have to pay excessive bail, or cruel and unusual

punishment

• Habeus corpus- protected people against unfair arrest and imprisonment

• Eventually becomes a limited constitutional monarchy