Hobbes State Of Nature Essay

1. What is the state of nature like for Locke? How is it different/similar to that of Hobbes? Locke says in the state of nature men kept their promises and honored their obligations, and, though insecure, it was mostly peaceful, good, and pleasant. Princes are in a state of nature with regard to each other. You are allowed to punish those who do you harm. Hobbes state of nature is summed up by his famous quote, “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.” 2. What are man’s natural rights? What is the natural law? men in the state of nature are free and equal, and at liberty to do as they wish—but only “within the bounds of the law of nature.” Individuals have a duty to respect the rights of others, even in the state of nature. The source of this duty, he says, is natural law. 3. Where does property come from? What does the labor theory of value mean? How do people acquire the right to property? How and why is private property justified? Whether by natural reason or the word of the Bible, the earth can be considered the property of …show more content…
What limits are placed on government? Do the people have a right to rebel? All laws and regulations of the commonwealth are based on the main principle of preserving property. The state is thus limited in that it cannot take a man's property away from him. If he has consented to the contract necessary to live in the state, his property is thusly protected by laws. The only way a man's property can be taken away is if he breaks his end of the contract and is therefore no longer under contract. People do have a right to rebel according to Locke. A governing regime or structure that acts without the consent of the public, and that insulates itself from the public it purports to represent has lost its right to rule. The more repressive that governing structure, the more legitimate the effort to overthrow