Social Contract Theorists

Question 1

Thomas Hobbes

Answer 1

1588-1679
lived through English Civil War
imagined a world before the state
individuals at the center
how do people who disagree come to live together
order before freedom
human nature= greedy, come to covet what is not ours
all power sovereign but in return sovereign must provide peace, law, and necessities in life
standard of living
when ultimate power is corrupt, people rise up
natural state is state of war and continual fear.

Question 2

John Locke

Answer 2

1632-1704
individual is sovereign
lives through English Civil War and Glorious Revolution
equality by virtue of divine right
natural rights, negative liberty
people consent to be governed
end of government is not the end of society
emphasis on toleration
state of nature is not awful and unproductive

Question 3

Jeremy Bentham

Answer 3

1748-1832
only rights that matter are legal rights
legitimacy of government comes from providing greatest happiness to greatest #
individual is the thing by which we measure happiness
we create laws, laws give us rights
utilitarianism

Question 4

John Stuart Mill

Answer 4

1806-1873
liberty demands that we not police what we view as strange
Harriet Taylor major contributor to work
leave people alone
tolerance, one freedom ends where another begins

Question 5

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Answer 5

1712-1778
positive liberty 
state of nature is perfection, cannot return once property is introduced
property is corrupt
basic standard from government
state action, general will
individual will is a problem