Political Philosophy: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Machiavelli Key Concepts

State of Nature (Hobbes)

Dangerous & conflictual

Nasty, Brutish, and Short

State of War

Rights (Hobbes)

You conceded your rights to the government, in return for your life

Government (Hobbes)

Very powerful sovereign

Revolution (Hobbes)

rarely justified as it can put you back into the state of nature

Liberty (Hobbes)

the absence of external impediments. The ability to act according to one's will without being prevented from performing that act.

State of Nature (Locke)

Not as pessimistic as Hobbes

Without civil authority or obligation, so generally peaceful but insecure

Rights (Locke)

retained after government forms

Government (Locke)

Limited government

Revolution (Locke)

Justified when rights are violated by the state

Liberty (Locke)

Natural right (Life, Liberty, & Property) protected by government

Property (Locke)

Natural right

Property (Rousseau)

Source of inequality

Representation (Locke)

Supports representative government, following the liberal tradition

Representation (Rousseau)

Representation is not enough. Citizens cannot delegate their civic duties. They must be actively involved. Rousseau favors a more direct democracy to enact the general will.Follows the republican tradition

Freedom (Locke)

Natural rights & non-interferencce

Freedom (Rousseau)

Self-legislation and autonomyt

Government (Locke)

Protects rights

Government (Rousseau)

Executes the general will

Sovereignty (Locke)

Exercised through representation

Sovereignty (Rousseau)

Belongs to the people directly

Virtue (Machiavelli)

skill, adaptability, strategy

Fox & Lion

The two animals Machiavelli encouraged politicians to act like in order to acquire and maintain power

Fox: deception and strategy

Lion: force & strength

Fortune

Luck and external forces

What does fortune do?

Controls about half of all human action, the rest being something we decide for ourselves

Lover versus Fear

Better to be feared than loved, think about controlled and conditional obedience

What does Machiavelli see as something to avoid when thinking about love and fear?

Because men are ungrateful, fickle, and self-interested, they must realize fear is more reliable than loyalty, and should avoid hated at all costs

Liberality vs. Parsimony

too much generosity can lead to poverty

can create more taxation and even hatred

then better to be seen stingy than hated

prudence

all decisions involve a trade off but because of this, prince should find himself choosing the least harmful action

no perfect choice in politics

Maintaining power

eliminate rivals

rely on your people, not the elites

control the military

Appearance vs. Reality

appear moral even when acting immorally

image matters more than truth

people judge by appearances

Commonwealth (Hobbes)

Multitude of people who together consent to a sovereign authority. Establish by having a contract that has absolute power over them all. Provides peace and common defense.

- Creation of the artiifical man (state/commonwealth/civitas)

a mortal god which we owe peace and defense to

Sovereign (Hobbes)

Supreme authority over a commoneralth, owed compltete obedience by subjects

-"soul of the leviathan"

- an absolute power

not part of the Social Contract

- maintains its power through fear

Liberalism (Core Ideas)

Centered on the belief that individuals should be free to pursue their own conception of the good life, as long as they allow others the same freedom

What are the key principles of liberalism?

Individual liberty

equal freedom for all

protection of individual rights

political neutrality regarding competing visions of "the good life"

government legitimacy based on consent and rights

What is Sinopoli's argument for liberalism?

People disagree deeply about morality, religion, and politics.

Because no universal conception of the good can gain everyone's agreement, the state should remain neutral.

The state should protect each individual's freedom to pursue their own values.

Coercing people into accepting the majority's conception of the good violates human dignity.

Big Picture for Rousseau

Attempty to solve the central political problem of individuals living together without losing their freedom

What does Rousseau argue in regards to his central argument?

legitimate political authority comes from the people collectively

citizens become free through participation in self-government

freedom requires independence from domination and obedience to laws one gives himself

a healthy republic depends on civic virtue, public education, and strong communal bonds

Hobbes vs. Rousseau

Rousseau sees humans as naturally compassionate, and freedom is autonomy

Hobbes sees humans as naturally conflictual and freedom becomes an absence of restraint

Locke vs. Rousseau

Locke wants to protect property rights and favors representation

Rousseau worries about property creating inequality and favors a government of direct democracy

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