Synopsis
Hobbes had a similar view about the lack of human goodness in the human condition to Machiavelli. But Hobbes was more concerned about how a social contract between society in general and the ‘sovereign’ could lead to peace and harmony. He claims passions enflaming tribal conflict in his day could be sublimated by satiating our natural acquisitiveness in entrepreneurial pursuits protected by partially surrendering our freedom by obedience to its source, the ‘sovereign’ or parliamentary lawmakers. However, Locke argues freedom is a natural right and we need laws to protect our entrepreneurial pursuits from interference by others, including governments. But a society of individuals also thrives on values of tolerance and loyalty to the state, the beginnings of pluralism in his version of liberalism that nurtures capitalism.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Fischer (1997, p. 86).
- 2.
We’ll see a contradiction to Hobbes’ assumptions about pre-historic humans when we look at Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s social contract which inspired French socialism and Karl Marx.
- 3.
Hobbes (1991, p. 185). (Hobbes lived 1588–1679, a relatively lengthy innings for the time.) I retain the original male pronouns of the texts. As we’ll see later in this chapter and Part IV, philosophical generalisations regarding ‘man’ don’t necessarily apply to women, or, indeed, all men.
- 4.
Ibid, p. 35. Italics added.
- 5.
Ibid, pp. 98–9.
- 6.
Ibid, p. 90.
- 7.
Locke (1975; reprint, 17th), para’s 95, 124. (Locke lived 1632–1704).
- 8.
Ibid, para’s 85, 123, 124, 173, 222. See also Locke (1937, p. 194).
- 9.
See for example Locke (1975), para’s 6, 22, and 87.
- 10.
Locke (1975), para 37. Locke’s First Treatise, published concurrently with the second, is basically a refutation of an earlier treatise of a less liberal theory of government written by Sir Robert Filmer (Patriarcha) published posthumously in 1680, 9 years before Locke’s.
- 11.
Ibid, para. 34.
- 12.
Ibid, para’s 31–32, 34, 48, 49, 50.
- 13.
Ibid, para. 50.
- 14.
Ibid, para. 41.
- 15.
Ibid, para. 14.
- 16.
Ibid, Bk. I, Ch. ii para. 25.
- 17.
Ibid, Ch. iii para. 25.
- 18.
Ibid, para. 95.
- 19.
Ibid, para. 77.
- 20.
Ibid, para. 5.
- 21.
Locke (1937, p. 180). Italics added.
- 22.
Fox Bourne (1876, Vol. I, p. 194).
- 23.
Locke (1937), in ‘A Letter Concerning Toleration,’ p. 181.
- 24.
Ibid, pp. 205–206.
References
Fischer, David Hackett. 1997. The Great Wave, Price Revolutions and the Rhythm of History. New York: The Softback Review.
Fox Bourne, H.R. 1876. Life of John Locke, 2 vols. London: Harper & brothers.
Hobbes, Thomas. 1991. Leviathan, ed. Richard Tuck. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.
Locke, John. 1937. A Letter on Toleration. In Treatise of Civil Government, and, a Letter Concerning Toleration, Appleton-Century Philosophy Source-Books, ed. Charles L. Sherman. New York: Appleton-Century.
———. 1975. The Second Treatise of Government, ed. Thomas P. Peardon, 1st. ed. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dawson, L. (2023). Hobbes and Locke: Dismantling Tribalism and Empowering Individuals. In: A Business Leader’s Guide to Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33042-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33042-1_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-33041-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-33042-1
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)