John Locke vs Thomas Hobbes
Locke and Hobbes are the two foundational early-modern theorists of the social contract. Both ground political legitimacy in agreements among individuals in a pre-political state of nature, but they reach almost opposite conclusions about what such an agreement justifies.
At a glance
| John Locke | Thomas Hobbes | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 1632 – 1704 | 1588 – 1679 |
| Nationality | English | English |
| Era | Modern | Modern |
| Movements | Empiricism, Enlightenment, Social Contract | Political Philosophy, Social Contract, Early Modern Philosophy |
| Profile | John Locke → | Thomas Hobbes → |
Where they agree
Both rejected the theological grounding of political authority in favor of a rational reconstruction from the consent of the governed, both held that political authority must be limited by the purposes for which it is established, and both took the avoidance of civil war as a central political problem.
Where they disagree
Hobbes's state of nature is a war of all against all, in which life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short, and the rational solution is the surrender of nearly all rights to an absolute sovereign in exchange for security. Locke's state of nature is a state of equality and freedom under the natural law, in which property exists prior to government, and the rational solution is a limited government whose authority does not extend beyond the protection of pre-political rights. Where Hobbes argues for an absolute sovereign whose authority cannot be revoked, Locke argues for a limited government whose authority can be revoked when it violates its trust.
Representative quotes
John Locke
-
“No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience.”
Book II, Ch. 1, sec. 19 -
“All mankind being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”
Second Treatise of Government , Ch. II, sec. 6 -
“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.”
Second Treatise of Government , Ch. VI, sec. 57
Thomas Hobbes
-
“The war of all against all.”
The First Part, Chapter 13, p. 62 -
“Curiosity is the lust of the mind.”
The First Part, Chapter 6, p. 26 -
“Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which everyone in himself calleth religion.”
The First Part, Chapter 11, p. 51
Continue reading
- Full profile: John Locke
- Full profile: Thomas Hobbes
- Shared movements: Social Contract
- Browse all philosopher comparisons