Mind map
Would persons in such a state of nature agree to surrender their freedom to those who ruled them?
Map content
Would persons in such a state of nature agree to surrender their freedom to those who ruled them?
Hobbes
- Had a pessimistic view of life in the state of nature: 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short', that isolated individuals would rationally contract with each other to hand over all of their sovereignty to a single sovereign.
- Hobbes saw this as unconditional except if an individual's life was threatened.
- Had a pessimistic view of life in the state of nature: 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short', that isolated individuals would rationally contract with each other to hand over all of their sovereignty to a single sovereign.
On what conditions...
Locke
- Sovereignty and natural rights were both present in the state of nature.
- Sovereign would only retain legitimacy to the extent he protected the individuals right to property.
- Sovereignty and natural rights were both present in the state of nature.
Rousseau
- Saw sovereignty in the will of the people, which remained with them.
- Sovereignty could not be the subject of a contract - could only be loaned to representatives, from whom it could be withdrawn.
- Saw sovereignty in the will of the people, which remained with them.