Comparing Thomas Hobbes And John Locke

Two great men are remembered for their philosophical ideas on government and life. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke progressed the Enlightenment Movement through depth and analysis of the government's power and human nature, but led opposite directions. Their ideas remained scattered throughout centuries to come. The ideas of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are considered to be polar in their views on the power of the government, the social contract theory, and human nature. Hobbes view on the power of the government should be absolute power. In his famous work Leviathan, Hobbes believed that a ruler obtained sovereignty from the implicit consent of the people. A ruler or government must control the chaos and selfishness behavior of the people and needs to control and protect the people. His approach towards life is excessively authoritarian with strict obedience at the expense of personal freedom. He also believed that the people must obey the government to ensure the protection and safety from the ferocious and fierce attacks that man is able to spread.

According to his famous work Two Treatises of Civil Government, power should be granted to an individual from a group of people, meaning that the people are capable of governing themselves. This idea became idealistic due to the fact that Locke became an inspiration for American Revolution and justify the overthrow of King James II of England. Locke believed that a form of government must be given to the people for attempting to ensure their needs and wants, specifically protection and safety, through an intellectual and civilize conversation in which the people can come to a decision that is suitable to all. Locke’s approach towards life is more optimistic and easygoing. Choices are to be made solely from the people. No totalitarian government will be instituted, but a governing nation with a free will of the