Question

Compare and contrast the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes and John locke

Answer 1

Hobbes is a good example of the old way of thinking about social contracts and Locke had more modern ideas. Hobbes, having lived through various horrible periods of English history was very pessimistic. He believed people were inherently evil and that the social contract between them and the monarch should be lifelong labor in exchange for protection. As a result, Hobbes believed people had no given rights upon birth. Locke had a very different view than Hobbes and reflected much more modern enlightenment thinking. He believed that the government should be a democracy, and should guarantee unalienable rights to citizens.