ng doing things that would purposely endanger their lives.Hobbes also thought that an authoritarian government would come to power in order to enforce the social contract by whatever means necessary. He called this Leviathan. Individuals exchanged their rights in return for peace, security, and protection from one another.John Locke embraced many of the ideas presented by Hobbes in his theories on the state of nature and the rise of government. They differed however, in that Locke believed that God was the prime factor in politics. He believed that individuals were born with certain rights given not by government or society, but by God. This he said, is what gives all people equality. Locke said in the state of nature men mostly kept their promises and honored their obligations, and, though insecure, it was mostly peaceful, good, and pleasant. He says that humans know what is right and wrong, and are capable of knowing what is lawful and unlawful well enough to resolve conflicts. In particular, and most importantly, they are capable of telling the difference between what is theirs and what belongs to someone else.Hobbes says that our knowledge of objective, true answers on such questions is so feeble, so slight and imperfect as to be mostly worthless in resolving practical arguments. In a state of nature people cannot know what is theirs and what is someone else’s. Property exists solely by the will of the state, so in a state of nature men are condemned to endless violent conflict.On the social contract, Locke says we give up our right to ourselves. We retain the right to life and liberty, and gain the protection of our property. Hobbes basically says, if you shut up and do as you are told, you have the right not to be killed.On the Violation of the social contract, Locke says that if a ruler seeks absolute power, if he acts both as judge and participant in disputes, he puts himself in a state of war with his subjects. Then he sa...
