Rousseau, Locke, and Hobbes Essay - 1200 Words

From the mid seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, there was an ‘Enlightenment movement that swept across Europe. The theorists behind this act rejected the ‘original sin concept, maintained the argument that humans could grow and progress, and stated that humans could reorganize society on the grounds of equality, justice, and freedom. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were all members of The Enlightenment movement, and each had their own idea on how human society should be structured and run. Locke and Hobbes lived around the same time, and some of their political theories were the same, however, by the time Rousseau came along, much had changed. Born in Geneva to a middle class watch maker, Jean-Jacques†¦show more content†¦At some point they cannot survive by themselves and everyone needs to come together for the common good In giving everything to the community the individual receives everything he or she has lost plus more power to preser ve what he has (189). Lives must be lived in and for the group; the life as an individual must be merged into the life of the state, and the people must be involved in all aspects of government. There can be no clubs, separate churches, power groups, or political parties, because these would create separate rights for individuals, and give some individuals more power than others. By creating this, Rousseau annihilates power struggles between the rights of a group and individual rights. In this system, there is no one ruler of the community. A citizen who puts his or her community first is ruler, and ruled. The political government is one united system, it does what the community wants it to do. Thomas Hobbes was born on April fifth,1588 in Wiltshire, England. With his education, he began his career easily as a tutor, then philosopher, and published his most famous text Leviathan. His main concern was the problem of social and political order: how human beings can live toge ther in peace and avoid the danger and fear of civil conflict. The criteria for his social contract is that individuals should give their obedience to an unaccountable sovereign: a person orShow MoreRelatedViews of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau815 Words   |  4 PagesArden Bentley AP Euro 3/9/13 Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Racques Rosseau were philosophers who stated their belief of human nature and how we should govern mankind. Although Rousseau was born a different time than Hobbes and Locke, they all had a very strong influence on the way governments should function. They created a revolutionary idea of the state of nature, the way men were before a government came into play. Each philosopher developed guidelines and responsibilities that the governmentRead MoreLocke, Hobbes and Rousseau Essay2077 Words   |  9 Pages What is common in Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau is state of nature. 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While some of their views on justice and power are similar, they do have many different beliefs on what is just and who should make it so. These philosopher’s perspectives will be uncovered to propose what justice requires be done to Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California. While focusing on Plato’s ideas, the paper will critique his ideas from the perspectives of Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau. According to Plato, it is