Hobbes and Locke: Comparative Analysis of Their Philosophies
A compare and contrast of two prominent philosophers: Hobbes and Locke.
They are both work on state of nature of human beings, they are both saw the same way in achieving the stabilization among people. They are even from the same country. But the consideration and opinion are different. So they are Locke who thought that human being is amicable, and Hobbes whose opinion was vice-versa that human beings are threat to each other.
Hobbes describe about human by nature, human nature is when everyone is enemy to each other, “Homo homini Lupus” a man is wolf against another. In Hobbes opinion everyone is equal, everyone has the same physical and mental ability. So it also means that all the same, if one will beat you and the other can. Some people are smarter than the rest, others are faster but it taking everyone together the difference between men are not so considerable. Equality of sum of qualities.
Hobbes though the state of nature is a state of war. He builds his theory of the state in order to prevent the horrors of war. However, it does not define the state. Instead, it defines a natural state of man. (State of Nature) In this state of humanity people have no common power to keep them together, there is always the danger of finding disputes violent methods, each individual depends only on its own power, that is, human life takes place in fear, poverty, and the eternal struggle. This state is called “anarchy”. The main three reason why it is happened are:
1. Diffidence: Person try to destroy and on other hand another one feels in danger. So, as result one person feels himself in safety another one will feel in danger.
2. Competition : The best defense is the best affiance.
3. Glory: The person hurts or destroys another to receive position high reputation in society. By receiving stable position, the person receives safety.
The only way to avoid this terrible state is the contract. Locke and Hobbes find the same way in achieving diverse goals. In which people voluntarily give all their freedom to do anything in exchange for personal safety. In his case, means that people born between the total power is able to ensure the personal safety of everyone at the same time controlling the internal and external policies.
Determination and a state of war is a state in the absence of state is when all people against each other, is when all people are the enemy to each other. In this state there is not any development in people, culture and no industrial progress, and the worst is that everyone is counting to rely on his own physical power given in order to achieve their desires. Hobbes explains the two variants of human behaviors in the state of war. Person will search the place of safety and try to protect it. 2. People should by all means to defend themselves if our world is encroaching from the side. Given these two laws represents for him the only right solution is create a state, which will provide people with peace and protect their interests and properties.
In the law of nature the person is forbidden to do anything that is destroying his life. Thus, Individual must always be in searching a peace and harmony, in result not only find it but also follow.
In right of nature people have right to do anything to protect himself. Even if for saving ourselves we need to raze our enemies. This means that every one against everyone in order to be safe it. Individual always rely on his own physical and mental abilities to protect his living.
Unlike Hobbes who believed that state of nature is a state of war in Locke’s opinion human beings are moral people and state of the nature is the state of peace. Locke as well as Hobbes develops his theory of state with the simple notion of the natural state of human being. Locke’s natural state of people based on morality and rational interest, that is, when attendees wants good not only for themselves but for others in order to get stable society. Both Locke and Hobbes believed that all people are equal and independent. But in Locke’s theory again unlike people can come into conflict with each other in a society when there is unjust aggression. Moreover, in this state person has a right to have his own property, which, as Locke said, comes from other people by labor. In his turn person may use freely the results of their labor that they can sell and exchange for money. This raises the question if everything is so good why do people need a state? Locke reply as our allowance of these rights are not constantly tend to threats. Under this state must exist in order to give people the opportunity to be satisfied with the security and free use of his property. Only by agreement of all people in society a state can be created. So minority must agree with majority part of society because majors work for the sake of all.
However, Locke did not see the need to control the state. He believed that state must exist and function separately from the people. The main goal of state is to ensure personal safety and protection of personal property rights. If the state abuse its authority people to revolt against it. Hobbes said that there three reason why people must revolt against state:
1. Life : everyone has the right to life
2. Property : anything taken from nature and which is mixed with labor rights are property.
3. Freedom : freedom of doing anything except of harm people.
Law of nature when people are equal and independent but do not have right to harm other people. It means that no one can not hurt your liberty, life, property. People as being in state of nature must help, support each other and avoid action like murder and theft that cause pain to others. Thus, people can do everything except of hurting one another.
Some people confuse the right and the law, but they differ because the right gives the opportunity to abstain or to do, while the law authorizes only one of them. Thus the law and the right are two different concepts, they are distinguishable as well as the commitment and freedom, which contradict each other.
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