Week Two - Thinkers

Question 1

John Locke

Answer 1

Voluntary agreement by citizens gives political power to governors (consent)

Question 2

Thomas Hobbes

‘Leviathan’

Answer 2

Classical Criminology was influenced by the work of Hobbes: Leviathan (1651) - without some restraint over their conduct, humans are in danger of falling into a war of every person vs. every person

To prevent this war, rational human beings join together and surrender some of their freedom to a government body/state (the Leviathan). Although some may lose liberty, there is a net gain to this social contract because the individual is relatively free from the gravest dangers of a nasty, brutal or short life. The purpose of the state is therefore to use as a little force as possible to ensure compliance with the terms of the social contract

Negative view of human behaviour, unless we have social institutions to support social contracts and laws to enforce them

Question 3

Rousseau

Answer 3

Citizens should be educated to prefer the community over private self interest