The Enlightenment

1. Take notes or create a chart that describes how the philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke each view:

	Thomas Hobbes	John Locke
Human nature?	Miserable state of war à Obey those who are in power, otherwise there would be a state of civil war – the authority helps us attain peace by having laws/regulations à Do not treat others in ways we would not have them treat us à without the power of the state, human cannot survive	Humankind is God’s property – one doesn’t have the liberty to destroy himself or others of his kind
What role the government should play in people’s lives?	Protect its people; king cannot be overthrown	Act in the favor of those who are governed + protect private property – can be overthrown
What type of government would he favor?	Absolutism – one is in charge of everything so that there aren’t disputes over different decisions – which inevitably leads to conflict/war	Republic/Democracy

2. Define John Locke's notions of Social Contract and tabula rasa.

• Social contract – legitimate government is instituted by the consent of those who are governed; those who make this agreement transfer to the government their right of executing the law and justice. This is the power that they give to the government, which makes the justice system of a government legitimate.

• Locke believed that human mind was a clean sheet of paper – called “tabula rasa” – which means that an infant knows nothing when he/she is born, and his/her ideas develop from experience.

3. What historical figures or modern day characters can you think of that would align to Thomas Hobbes description of leadership? Who would align with John Locke's description of leadership?

Adolf Hitler, Hosni Mubarak, Charles I, and many Chinese kings would align to Thomas Hobbes description of leadership because they believed in absolutism. They held absolute power, or at least attempted to, and gave themselves the power to control their people the way they wanted instead of making laws and enforcing justice in the favor of the people they governed. They protected their nations in protective ways that they thought were right, but most of the time those didn’t appeal to the citizens. In contrast, many U.S. presidents would align with John Locke’s description of leadership because they stick to God’s morals and lead the country under laws that are voted by the people. They act in the favor of the people governed, and therefore they can be overthrown if they do a bad job.