Social Contract: Thomas Hobbes And John Locke

It is solely within the state of nature, in which nothing more supreme than humankind exists, that the essence of man is revealed . The notion of a situation in which law would not dictate human behavior set philosophers from the Age of Enlightenment on a quest to uncover the innate attributes of man. Consequently, these writers concluded that man cannot peaceably exist without government, thereby leading to the establishment of the social contract theory. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke’s ideas regarding the state of nature were expanded upon to develop the social contract theory which served to express the purpose of government. The conceptions of Hobbes and Locke as presented in their theories had a gargantuan impact on the formation of the

American government. According to Hobbes and Locke, the social contract was essential for order and the protection of the people, both of which were considered to be nonexistent in the state of nature. Nevertheless, Hobbes and Locke had disparate views on the manner in which the social contract would serve the people. In addition, Hobbes and Locke’s beliefs, although antithetical, had a gargantuan impact on the American government.
To begin, the social contract was a principle that served to establish the fundamental aspects of government and law through an agreement amongst the people and those who possessed authority.

In Reflections on the Revolution in France, when discussing the social contract, Edmund Burke writes, “But if…the law is broken, nature is disobeyed, and the rebellious are outlawed, cast forth, and exiled from this world of reason, and order, and peace, and virtue, and fruitful penitence, into the antagonist world of madness, discord, vice, confusion, and unavailing sorrow” (61). Burke insinuates that a social contract is imperative for the establishment of peace in society. Thus, through violating the social contract, harmony is annihilated and man is forced to return to the state of nature. This relates to the shared idea of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke that the social contract serves as a solution for the complications and troubles faced in the natural

world.
Furthermore, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke agreed that the state of nature results in the necessity of a social contract, but they disagreed on its functions. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes states, “And in him consists the essence of the commonwealth; which to define it, is one person, of whose acts a great multitude, by mutual covenants with one another, have made themselves every one the author, to the end he may use the strength and means of them all, as he shall think expedient, for their peace and common defence” (62). Hobbes illustrates that the social contract consists of people submitting themselves to the rule of one person in exchange for order and security. Since men in nature are in a never ending state of war, they require a government in the form of an absolute monarchy to establish concord. Contrarily, John Locke expresses in Two Treatises on Civil Government that people fear for their rights in nature, and consequently they “take sanctuary under the established laws of government, and therein seek the preservation of their property” (Locke, 65). Locke demonstrates that people’s concerns in the state of nature, rather than their supposed iniquitous disposition, results in the necessity of a social contract. Under the social contract, government is created as the servant and safeguard of the people. Thomas Hobbes’ conceptions regarding the social contract illustrate a pessimistic outlook on human nature, and thus, insinuate that government must be above the people it serves. However, Locke’s ideas portray that the purpose of government is to operate according to the will of the people.
Moreover, although Hobbes and Locke’s theories concerning the social contract were disparate, they both had a tremendous influence on the American government. In the Declaration of Independence, it is written, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness” (65). This illustrates how the American Founders attempted to implement limitations, such as the right to revolution, on authority. The Founders were influenced by Hobbes’ belief that men by nature are self-serving and power-hungry, and thus, they established safeguards against corruption. In addition, the Declaration of Independence also states, “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (65). This statement illuminates the manner in which the American government preserved the rights of the citizens. The Declaration of Independence’s inclusion of Locke’s ideas on inalienable rights and the purpose of government illustrates the influence he had on American government. The Founding Fathers utilized a combination of Hobbes and Locke’s ideas to establish a government that functioned in accordance with the people’s desires. However, the government would simultaneously protect against the ill intentions of man.
The social contract, deriving from the theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, served to increase comprehension regarding the implementation of governmental authority.

Hobbes and Locke’s divergent perspectives concerning the social contract clarified the manner in which government should function for the people. Their theories assisted the American Founders in instituting a government that took into account both the iniquitous and virtuous aspects of human nature. Accordingly, it is the egocentric character of man in which government attempts to protect against that is the foremost reason for the existence of government. As stated by James Madison, “What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be

necessary.”