THIS IS NOT A COMPARE AND CONTRAST PAPER
Talk about Hobbes and Locke who are social contract theorists. Then address all of the following in a 500 to 600 word length paper: Include a intro paragraph about what the essay is about and why it is important and the main points of the essay and include transition and first sentences before each paragraph and add a conclusion wrapping up the essay and restating the main points.
Briefly explain the ideal forms of government and its powers and responsibilities, according to the two theorists.
Your papers should explain why the particular state of nature leads to the kind of government your authors defend.
Briefly explain (no more than 1 paragraph at the end of the paper) which theorist you believe speaks to the true nature of
man and/or government.
Briefly summarize two theorists’ conception of the state of nature. Explain your answers using the relevant texts as evidence. Note that you have to stick with the same two theorists for the entirety of the paper.
Guidelines:
500-600 words of actual content. You must stick to the word range. If you go over, I will only read up to 500 words. If you are under, you will lose points in most of the rubric categories since you did not provide sufficient evidence to back your ideas. I am enforcing the word limit since finding ways to concisely convey your ideas is essential in academia and in the real world.
To receive a passing grade on papers, you must pull from the primary source that is relevant to the prompt.
For these papers, you do not have to use a formatting style (like APA). However, you must be very precise when referencing all texts. Since versions of the primary sources vary, do not give page #s. Instead, refer to the Book/Part/Chapter you are pulling from. Example: (Politics, Book I, Part II).
NOT A COMPARE AND CONTRAST PAPER
Must include these points
-Hobbes- lack of authority
Hobbes- state of war -> perverse equality, central authority
-Explain their versions of the social contract
-Social contract- some sort of agreement
-Explain states of nature and their commitments
– Locke social contract -> a free agreement
-state of nature -> peaceful reason -> avoid collapse into war
-Which is more accurate?
-Social contract (free agreement)
-Hobbes thinks people are bad and there is no higher power above people. Economics can’t take place.
-State of war -> preserve equality
-Talks about perverse equality. We all are equal because we can all die. Life is going to be uncomfortable and fighting all the time.
-Hobbes is a proto liberal.
-Every individual is in the same circumstances.
-Natural law is agreement and we can remove ourselves from the state of nature.
-Every individual is rational, better to live in society than not. -Hobbes social contract.
-Hobbes is an absolutist and arguing for a absolutist anarchy
-Absence of coercive power (from a state of gov)- no civil society
-Humans preserve peace (hobbes natural law) drives to use natural rights they have
-As soon as you leave the contract you’re dead
-Hobbes is a materialist and absolutist
-Hobbes is a pessimist
-Explain what pessimist is
-They talk about natural laws differently
-Define: State of nature, civil society, course of power
-Perverse equality: both can die, both mortal
-Course of power: the ability to convince people of things
-State of nature: (no gov)
-Political legitimacy = Agreement
-democracy is just a methodology of making decisions
-Locke (Liberalism/ individualism)
-Locke says its not a valid social contract to hobbes
-Locke is arguing for a Constitutional anarchy
-It’s not a meaningful contract, disagree with hobbes statement of as soon as you leave the contract you’re dead
-Locke beliefs in god while hobbes doesn’t and thinks there isn’t a god to govern your behavior
-God has given you a natural right to your labor
Use these sources only:
Locke Second Treatise on Government (1689) – Chapters 1-5 & 8 – 10 only
https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1689a.pdf
Hobbes Leviathan (1651) – Chapters 13, 17, and 18 only
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3207/3207-h/3207-h.htm