Thomas Hobbes was born in 1588 and studied at Oxford University. He worked as a private tutor and traveled across Europe and met early scientists like Francis Bacon, Descartes and Galileo. In 1640, the English Civil War broke out between the British Parliament (like our legislature) and King Charles I. This violent conflict that tore England apart had a deep impact on Hobbes. During the civil war, Hobbes left England to escape the fighting and lived for eleven years in France under the rule of Louis XIV. He worked as a tutor to the future king of England, Charles II. It was during this time that he developed his ideas about government and power. While he criticized both sides of the English Civil War, he supported the king over Parliament, but he also denied that the king was given his right to rule from god. Hobbes believed that government was based on a “social contract” or agreement between the government and the people in which the government protects people and, in exchange, the people are obedient to the government. In 1651, Hobbes returned to England and published his book The Leviathan, which explained why Hobbes support the absolute power of kings. The title of the book referred to a leviathan, a mythological, whale-like sea monster that devoured whole ships. Hobbes likened the leviathan to a government, a powerful state created to impose order. He saw the king as a necessary figure of leadership and authority. He felt that democracy would never work because people are only motivated by self-interest. He saw humanity as being motivated by a constant desire for power, and to give power to the individual would result in a war of every one against the other that would make life "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Hobbes believed that, to prevent people from fighting and killing each other all the time, they needed a strong leader like an absolute monarch to keep peace.
Biography of John Locke - Philosopher of Natural Rights and Rule of Law
John Locke was born 1632, in England. He studies at Oxford University and was a members of the English Royal Society – one of the earliest organizations of scientists. Locke became friends with Isaac Newton. It was Locke's work with the Oxford scientists that gave him a critical perspective on how scientific reasoning could be applied to people and society.Locke was opposed to the idea of absolute monarchy and, because this was considered a challenge to the King's authority, Locke went into exile in Holland. While in Holland, Locke wrote Two Treatises of Civil Government. This work is a theory of natural law and rights in which he makes a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate governments and argues for revolution against tyrannical governments. He believed that government was formed as a social contract between people to protect their natural rights. He said that the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of life, liberty and property of a people, and if these goals are not respected, then people are allowed to rebel against the government.
After British King James II was overthrown, William of Orange the King of Holland was invited to become the new King of England. Known as the Glorious Revolution of 1688, this event marks the change in the dominant power in English government from King to Parliament. In 1688 Locke took the opportunity to return to England on the same ship that carried Queen Mary to join her husband King William. Locke’s ideas were used in the writing of the British Bill of Rights, which outlined the rights of the British people and limited the power of the king. The British Bill of Rights was an important event in establishing the concept of “rule of law”. The British Bill of Rights became the basis for the American Bill of Rights in the Constitution
Source # 1 - Video lecture explaining Hobbes' philosophical justification for absolutism - click here
Source # 2 - Title page to The Leviathan (1651)
Source # 3 - The following is an excerpt from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes was a British political philosopher who believed in the need for strong government.
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.
In such condition there is … continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
Source # 4 - Historian's Perspective
Historian John Miller described the importance of the absolute monarchs, like Louis XIV, by saying, "Absolute monarchies helped to bring a sense of nationhood to disparate territories, to establish a measure of public order and promote prosperity... we need therefore to jettison the liberal and democratic preconditions of the twentieth century and instead think in terms of an impoverished and precarious existence, of low expectations and submission to the will of God and the king".
Source # 5 - Video Lecture explaining Locke's philosophical argument for Natural Rights and the Rule of Law - click here
Source # 6 - Excerpt is from John Locke’s Two Treatise on Government (1690)
Men being…by nature all free, equal, and independent, no one can be subjected to the political power of another without his consent…To protect natural rights governments are established. Since men hope to preserve their property by establishing a government, they will not want that government to destroy their objectives. When legislators try to destroy or take away the property of the people, or try to reduce them to slavery, they out themselves in a state of war with the people, who can refuse to obey the laws.
Source # 7 - Excerpt from the English Bill of Rights (1689)
An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown
Whereas the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled at Westminster, lawfully, fully and freely representing all the estates of the people of this realm, did upon the thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty-eight [old style date] present unto their Majesties, then called and known by the names and style of William and Mary, prince and princess of Orange, being present in their proper persons, a certain declaration in writing made by the said Lords and Commons in the words following, viz.:
Whereas the late King James the Second, by the assistance of divers evil counsellors, judges and ministers employed by him, did endeavour to subvert and extirpate the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of this kingdom....
And whereas the said late King James the Second having abdicated the government and the throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power) did (by the advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and divers principal persons of the Commons) cause letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants, and other letters to the several counties, cities, universities, boroughs and cinque ports, for the choosing of such persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament, to meet and sit at Westminster upon the two and twentieth day of January in this year one thousand six hundred eighty and eight [old style date], in order to such an establishment as that their religion, laws and liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted, upon which letters elections having been accordingly made;
And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, pursuant to their respective letters and elections, being now assembled in a full and free representative of this nation, taking into their most serious consideration the best means for attaining the ends aforesaid, do in the first place (as their ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties declare
That the pretended power of suspending the laws or the execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal;
That the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of laws by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is illegal;
That the commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, and all other commissions and courts of like nature, are illegal and pernicious;
That levying money for or to the use of the Crown by pretence of prerogative, without grant of Parliament, for longer time, or in other manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal;
That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king, and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal;
That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law;
That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law;
That election of members of Parliament ought to be free;
That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;
That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted;
That jurors ought to be duly impanelled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders;
That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void;
And that for redress of all grievances, and for the amending, strengthening and preserving of the laws, Parliaments ought to be held frequently.
