Station 1

Thomas HobbesWhere is he from?

What is his view of people (quote examples from Leviathan)?

What is his view of government (quote examples from Leviathan)?

Who would be most likely to like Hobbes’ ideas?

How does the image represent Hobbes’ ideas?

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Station 1

Thomas Hobbes

Summary

“The Ruler Has Absolute Power”

In 1651 Thomas Hobbes published a book on government entitled

Leviathan. Hobbes argued in his book that the best government was

one in which the ruler had absolute power. According to Hobbes,

before there was any government or any laws people lived violent

lives that were “nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes thought that at

some point in the distant past people agreed to give up their

freedom to a ruler to gain order and safety. Hobbes called this

agreement a contract between the ruler and the ruled. Under the

agreement, people now had no right to disobey the ruler or rebel

even if he ruled poorly. Without the absolute power of the ruler to

keep order, Hobbes believed that people would return to a state

where they would constantly fight among themselves. For Thomas

Hobbes, order in a society was more important than freedom.

Station 1

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes

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Cover of LeviathanScott Garren May 15, 2023

Station 1

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Map of England (where Hobbes was from)

Station 1

SELECTIONS FROM THE LEVIATHANThomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

(Primary Source)Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Human Equality:Nature has made men so equal, in the faculties of the body and mind; as that though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body, or of quicker mind than another, yet when all is reckoned together, the difference between man and man, is not so considerable. . .

For such is the nature of men, that howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned; yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves. . . .

The State of Nature:From this equality of ability, arises equality of hope in the attaining of our ends. And therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies. . . .

Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war, as is of every man, against every man. For war consists not in battle only, or the act of fighting, but in a tract of time, wherein the will to contend by battle is sufficiently known.

In such condition there is no place for industry [meaning productive labor, not industry in modern sense of factories], because the fruit thereof is uncertain, and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building . . . no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and, which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Awe: noun

1. an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful,

or the like: in awe of God; in awe of great political figures.

Station 2

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

John LockeWhere is he from?

What is his view of people (quote examples from Of Civil Government)?

What is his view of government (quote examples from Of Civil Government)?

Who would be most likely to like Locke’s ideas?

The American Declaration of Independence was written after Locke became famous. How might the Declaration have been influenced by Locke (look for similarties)?

Station 2

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

John Locke

Summary

“People Have Basic Rights”John Locke was an Englishman born in 1632. In 1690 nearly forty years after the

appearance of Hobbes’ book, John Locke published a book that challenged

Hobbes’ ideas. His book was entitled Two Treatises on Government. Like Hobbes,

Locke thought that the purpose of government was to keep order in a society.

Locke also agreed that government was a contract between the ruler and those

ruled. Locke, however, thought that people did not give up all their freedom or

rights when they agreed to be governed.

Unlike Hobbes, Locke believed that people were basically reasonable.

Given the chance, Locke thought, people would cooperate and act in an orderly

manner. One of Locke’s most influential ideas was that people were born with

three basic rights. People, said John Locke, had a right to life, liberty, and

property. It was the duty of government, Locke believed, to protect these rights.

He argued that a ruler should only stay in power as long as he had the

agreement of the people. He called this agreement “consent of the governed.”

According to Locke, people had a right to rebel against and replace any

government that did not protect their basic rights.

Station 2

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Portrait of John Locke

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Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Introduction to the American Declaration of Independence

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Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Map of England (where Locke was from)

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SELECTIONS FROM OF CIVIL GOVERNMENTJohn Locke (1632.1704)

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

(Primary Source)

The State of Nature

To understand political power aright, we must consider what state all men are

naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and

dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of

the law of nature; without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other

man. . . .

The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and

reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, that being all equal and

independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or

possessions: for men [are] all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely

wise Maker; all the servants of one sovereign master, sent into the world by his

order, and about his business. . . .

Reason

Men living together according to reason, without a common superior on earth,

with authority to judge between them, is properly the state of nature.

God, who hath given the world to men in common, hath also given them reason

to make use of it to the best advantage of life, and convenience. The earth, and

all that is therein, is given to men for the support and comfort of their being.

Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy. And thus, considering the

plenty of natural provision there was a long time in the world, and the few

spenders . . . there could be then little room for quarrels or contentions about

property so established.

Station 3

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Where is he from?

What is his view of people (quote examples from The Social Contract)?

What is his view of government (quote examples from The Social Contract)?

Who would be most likely to like Rousseau’s ideas?

How does the image represent Rousseau’s ideas?

Station 3

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Summary

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

“Man is born free, but…”

Another important political thinker during this time was Jean Jacques Rousseau. Unlike

Monterquieu, Rousseau was born into poverty. He was an emotional, undisciplined man. Much

of his early life was spent wandering from one job to another. For a time he was a music

teacher, though he knew little about teaching music. Then in 1750, this unknown man became

famous when he won an essay contest. His essay, Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, argued

that before civilizations developed people’s behavior had been basically good. People

cooperated. There was no crime. Shockingly, Rousseau proposed that civilized societies caused

people to act in ways that were bad. Rousseau used the societies of Native Americans and

others as models of peaceful, cooperative people who lived in a natural, simpler state. He called

these people “noble savages.” Thomas Hobbes had written that people were born basically

greedy and selfish. Civilization, he thought, made people act more responsibly. Rousseau said

that people were born good, but that civilization makes them act badly. “Man is born free,” he

wrote, “but everywhere he is in chains.” Rousseau strongly believed that all people were equal.

Whether king or noble, no one, he argued, should have any special rank or privilege in society.

Rousseau’s ideas about the importance of a simple life became very popular. The queen of

France even had a simple village built at the magnificent palace of Versailles. This powerful

queen would visit the phony village and make believe she was a simple peasant woman whose

job was to milk cows.

Rousseau’s “General Will”

In 1762 Rousseau published an important on government called entitled The Social

Contract. Rousseau’s idea of the social contract differed from Hobbes and Locke. Rousseau

believed that in order to get along people made a contract with each other and not the ruler. In

Rousseau’s opinion, a community of people was held together by shared customs, values, and

traditions. Rousseau called these shared feelings the “general will.” For this reason Rousseau

favored the rule of the majority. Rousseau’s writings encouraged both those that favored

democratic governments and nationalism.

Station 3

Portrait of Jean Jacques RousseauScott Garren May 15, 2023

Station 3

Cover of The Social Contract

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Station 3

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Map of Switzerland (where Rousseau was born)

Station 3

SELECTIONS FROM The Social ContractJean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

(Primary Source)

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

GENEV

Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. Many a one believes himself

the master of others, and yet he is a greater slave than they.

. . . [T]he social order is a sacred right which serves as a foundation for all others .

. now, as men cannot create any new forces, but only combine and direct those

that exist, they have no other means of self-preservation than to form...a sum of

forces which may overcome the resistance, to put them in action . . . and to

make them work in concert. This sum of forces can be produced only by the

combination of man; but the strength and freedom of each man being the chief

instruments of his preservation, how can he pledge them without injuring

himself, and without neglecting the cares which he owes to himself? This

difficulty, applied to my subject, may be expressed in these terms. To find a form

of association which may defend and protect with the whole force of the

community the person and property of all its members and by means of which

each, coalescing with all, may nevertheless obey only himself, and remain as free

as before. Such is the fundamental problem of which the social contract

furnishes the solution..

In short, each giving himself to all, gives himself to nobody. . .

We see from this formula that the act of association contains a reciprocal

engagement between the public and individuals, and that every individual . . . is

engaged in a double relation. . . the social pact . . . includes this engagement . . .

that whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be constrained to do so by

the whole body; which means nothing else than that he shall be forced to be

free. . . .

Source: Rousseau, The Social Contract, Henry J. Tozer,trans. (London, 1895).Station 4

Baron de MontesquieuScott Garren May 15, 2023

Where is he from?

What are reasons for the existence of laws?(quote examples from The Spirit of the Laws)

Reread to underlined sentence “A.” Who could have inspired this conclusion?

How should laws be created and who should create laws?

According to Montesquieu, what are reasons why one nation’s laws may not work in another?

Using Document 1-D, explain the conditions necessary in a country to have liberty (freedom).

Using Document 1-D, explain what the ideal government would look like, according to Montesquieu.

Station 4

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Baron de Montesquieu 1689-1755

Station 4

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Station 4

Montesquieu“Separate and Balance of Powers”

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Baron de Montesquieu, A French aristocrat and lawyer, was also interested in

discovering the basic ideas or principles of good government. He studied the history of

the government of ancient Rome as well as the government in his own time. Seven

years before his death he published The Spirit of Laws.

Montesquieu thought that there was a “spirit” that acted as a foundation for every type

of government. The “spirit” of a dictatorship was fear. The “spirit” of a monarchy was

honor. Kings and nobles thought they were the superior people in their society. The king

and other nobles were to be respected because they were honorable men. They had a

special responsibility to use their wealth and power to govern for the good of the whole

society. The “spirit” of a republic was virtue. The strength of a republican for, of

government, he thought, was in electing people of good character who would serve for

the good of the community. Montesquieu believed the spirit of a government was so

important that if it weakened, the government would fail.

Montesquieu admired the English system of government in the 1700’s. He thought that

power in the English government was divided into three branches. One branch,

Parliament, made laws. A second branch, the king, enforced the laws. The third branch,

the courts, interpreted the laws or decided what the laws meant. Montesquieu thought

that separating the powers of government would guard against one part of government

from becoming too powerful. Each branch of government acted to “check and balance”

the powers of the other branches.

Although Montesquieu was not entirely correct in how the English government worked,

his idea of the importance of a “separation of powers” and “checks and balances” was

used by the individuals who wrote the Constitution of the United States of America.

Montesquieu’s ideas on separating and balancing of powers of government became the

foundation for the government of the United States.

Stations 3 and 4

Montesquieu and Rousseau

Scott Garren May 15, 2023

Many writers and thinkers of the eighteenth century, especially in France, built upon the ideas and methods of John Locke (from station 2), and attempted to create theories of government based on a rational approach to man’s relationship with the society in which he lived. Two key thinkers on the nature of government were Baron de Montesquieu and Jean Jacques Rousseau; although they did not necessarily agree what government based on reason should look like.

Both of these philosophers did follow three basic tenets, or beliefs:

a. Human society is governed by Natural Laws.b. These Natural Laws can be discovered by rational men.c. Human society can turn from traditional, authoritarian forms, and progress toward a more perfect government

through rational thought.For stations 3 (Montesquieu) and station 4 (Rousseau) find as many of the three basic beliefs as you can in each of the primary documents on government provided, and come up with a list.

Simplified Directions:

1. Read the primary document(s) provided.2. Fill out the chart using statements from the primary document that supports each of the three tenets (beliefs)

mentioned above.

Scott Garren May 15, 2023