Compare between Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Rousseau in their

democratic theory

After the impact of the Scientific Revolution, society gained comfort in questioning old notions and beliefs. Government, religion, economics, and education were among the subjects in which philosophers and scholars built opinions on. From the newfound curiosity that spread through Europe, the Enlightenment began. The Enlightenment is the European movement during the 18th century where thinkers applied principles of reason and the scientific method to all aspects of society. Among those thinkers were the philosophers Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau who all differ in the manner in which they view human nature.

Thomas Hobbes (1858-1679), an English philospher, believed that all humans are egotistical and selfish. The horrors he witnessed in the English Civil War had led him to think so. To control such wickedness, Hobbes believed that society had to be controlled by a strong form of government. The controlling government would come in the form of an absolute monarchy according to Hobbes. In the Leviathan (1651), a book that expressed Hobbes’ views, Hobbes developed the idea of a social contract. In the social contract, a person’s moral and political obligations are dependent on an agreement among them to form the society where they live. In return of society’s obligations, the absolute monarch would ensure law and order. Each end of the social contract were expected to follow their agreement in order for peace and control in their environments.

John Locke (1632-1704), held a more positive view of human nature. Unlike Thomas Hobbes who believed humans were self-absorbed and seeked for their own benefits, John Locke believed that humans could improve themselves if they were willing to. John Locke believed humans had a natural ability to improve themselves through experience and motivation. The idea of an absolute monarchy was not reflected in Locke’s view. Instead, he believed in the idea of a self-government. Humans were born with three natural rights according to Locke - life, liberty and property. An absolute monarchy did not regard in those rights, so they could not protect them for the people in the society.