Thomas Hobbes and John Locke

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke One of the main points of Hobbes' political theory was the "social contract theory." He used this theory to come to the conclusion that everyone should submit to an absolute and sovereign power without question, and that it would benefit all of us to do so. He also dealt with moral philosophy to some degree, but he was not as influential in this area as he was with his political philosophy.

The methodologies that he created, however, had a strong impact on the political philosophies that were created at a later date. Hobbes also talked about a 'state of nature,' in which there would be no laws or government, and that it should be the baseline against which all political ideals and participants were judged. Hobbes believed that this kind of state was a bad idea, because there would be no safety and security for people, and the result would be chaos for the world.

Even though Hobbes had theories and beliefs on many subjects, his political theories were the most significant and are still studied today in order to determine the depth of his understanding and beliefs. John Locke, who was a near descendant of Hobbes, differed most strongly in his political opinions and indicated that the 'state of nature' of which Hobbes talked would be preferable to having a sovereign government or absolute ruler and therefore be subjected to the whims and ideas of that person.

Locke was not anti-political, but he did not share Hobbes' belief that having one ruler and therefore establishing one set of rules and laws for everyone to follow would be the best thing for all people. He.