hobbes, locke, and rosseau

state of nature hobbes

a condition where there is no government, and life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

social contract hobbes

an agreement where individuals give up all rights to a sovereign in exchange for security and order

leviathan

hobbes’ book arguing for a strong, absolute, monarchy to mantain peace and prevent chaos

absolute monarchy

a government in which a sovereign has total power and cannot be challengedor removed by any means, including legislation or rebellion

egoism

the belief that humans are motivated purely by self-interest (hobbes)

competition diffidence glory

the three causes of conflict in the hobbesian state of nature (hobbes)

fear of death

the main reason people enter a social contract, as they seek security and survival (hobbes)

authoritarianism

a form of government that enforces strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedoms

non-resistant covenant

hobbes’ idea that once power is given to the sovereign, subjects cannot revolt

religion

hobbes viewed this as potentially dangerous, leading to civil unrest and disobedience

state of nature locke

a peaceful condition where people have natural rights but a lack of formal government to enforce them

social contract locke

an agreement where people form a government to protect their natural rights, and they can overthrow it if it fails

natural rights

life, liberty, and property which the government must protect (locke)

two treatises of government

lockes work that argues for limited government and the right to revolution

limited government

a government that is restricted in power and exists only to protect individual rights (locke)

consent of the governed

the idea that legitimate government authority comes from the people’s consent (locke)

right to revolution

lockes principle that if a government fails to protect natural rights, citizens can overthrow it

separation of powers

the idea that government should be divided into branches to prevent abuse of power (locke)

liberalism

a political philosophy emphasizing individual freedoms, democracy and limited government (locke)

private property

the idea that property is created through labor and must be protected by the government (locke)

majority rule

the concept that decisions should be made based on the will of the majority (locke)

letter concerning toleration

lockes work advocating for religious tolerance but arguing that atheism cannot be tolerated

state of nature rosseau

A condition where humans were once free, equal, and good, but society and private property corrupted them

social contract rosseau

A system where individuals fully submit to the general will for the common good

general will

The collective good of society that all citizens must follow, even if it conflicts with their personal interests (rosseau)

direct democracy

A government where all citizens directly participate in making laws (rosseau)

discourse on the origin of inequality

rosseaus work arguing that private property lead to social inequality

amour de soi

a natural form of self-love that promotes survival and well being

amour propre

a selfish, competitive form of self-love that arises in society

plasticity of man

Rousseau’s belief that human nature is malleable and shaped by society

critique of private property

Rousseau believed private property created social inequality and oppression

popular sovereignity

the idea that ultimate power belongs to the people and cannot be transferred to a ruler (rosseau)

republicanism

Rousseau’s belief that a government should serve the common good rather than individual interests

the problem of freedom

The challenge of creating a society where people remain as free as they were in nature (rosseau)