john locke (1632-1704). john locke “blank slate” – people learn and develop differently...
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John Locke(1632-1704)
John Locke• “Blank Slate” – people learn and
develop differently because they are exposed to different things.
• His philosophy heavily influenced the Declaration of Independence.
• Believed human nature is characterized by reason and tolerance.
John Locke
• State of Nature– If we did not have a government we would
end up in a “state of nature”.– It is government’s job to protect people’s
natural rights
• Social Contract– The people agree to give up some freedoms,
but only if the government agrees to protect everyone’s rights
John Locke• Major works:
Two Treatises of Government
A Letter Concerning Toleration
“The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it,
which treats everyone equally…[B]eing equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life,
health or possessions.”
“The old [traditions] are apt to lead men into mistakes, as this [idea] of [fatherly] power’s probably has done, which seems so [eager] to place the power of parents over their children wholly in the father, as if the mother has no share in it. Whereas if we consult reason or [the Bible], we shall find she has an equal title.”
“Whensoever…the [government] shall…put into the hands of any other absolute power over the lives, liberty and estates of the people, by this breach of trust they forfeit the power [of] the people….who have a right to resume their original liberty, and by the establishment of a new [government] provide for their own safety and security.”
June 1989 – Tiananmen Square
Baron de Montesquieu (1689 -1755)
Baron de Montesquieu• Famous for
theory of separation of powers.
Baron de Montesquieu
Said that there are 2 types of governmental power:1)Administrative (Legislative, Executive, Judicial branches)2)Sovereign (Certain people had powers within their own territory)
Baron de MontesquieuHe believed that a government
elected by the people was the best form of government
* this government should
protect individual rights
Baron de Montesquieu• Major works:
The Spirit of Laws
System of Ideas
“When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty.”
“In a true state of nature, indeed, all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of laws.”
Thomas Hobbes(1588-1679)
Thomas HobbesIn the “State of Nature”:
1) Everyone fears a violent death.
2) All rights are born of necessity.
3)In order to get what they wanted, people would always be at war with others.
Thomas Hobbes• In the “State of Nature”:
“Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”
• He believed that a social contract should exist between the government and the people
• He believed that once the people agreed to hand over power in exchange for protection, they lost their right to overthrow, replace, or even question government.
Thomas Hobbes• Major works included
Leviathan, which became one of the first scholarly works on the Social Contract Theory.
“The safety of the People, requireth further, from him, or them that have the Sovereign Power, that Justice be equally administered to all degrees of People. . . "
“In a place with no government, Men would desire to obtain pleasure without concern for justice.”
“In a state of nature if no government exists then the life of the man would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. ”
Name the philosopher:
• Every person is born with natural rights given to them by God.
• John Locke
All men should have the right to life, liberty and property.
John Locke
No person should harm another person because all people are equal and independent.
John Locke
In a state of nature, if no government exists, man will be against man.
Thomas Hobbes
People are naturally wicked and can not be trusted to govern.
Thomas Hobbes
“Separation of powers” is necessary in government.
Montesquieu
The best government is that of a king because a country needs an authority figure to provide leadership and direction.
Thomas Hobbes
The best government is the one that has powers divided so that there is a balance of power.
Montesquieu
People should give up their rights in order to live by a contract. This is known as the Social Contract Theory.
Hobbes and Locke
