John Locke vs Jean-Jacques Rousseau. - 1663 Words

John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are great political philosophers that have many similar insights about society and its political form. However, when closely examining the writings of these thinkers, one can easily discover many subtle differences among them. The two philosophers base their theories on different assumptions, which subsequently lead to dissimilar ideas about the origin of society and the constitution of governments. As a result, their views of the development of society greatly dissent from each other. Lockes and Rousseaus different versions in the development of society cause them to reach disparate conclusions concerning the legislative power, social unit, and revolution rights of the society. Locke believes that†¦show more content†¦Locke indicates that, by giving up some of ones rights, the state gains legislative power and is obliged to use this power to make laws that benefit the people, who hired it. Locke writes that, This legislative is not only the supreme power of the common-wealth, but sacred and unalterable in the hands where the community have once placed it...over whom no body can have a power to make laws, but by their own consent, and by authority received from them. (XI 134) Rousseau argues that the state should not be able to acquire legislative power, but simply acts as an executive. He claims that the legislative power comes from the people, for the sovereign is simply the general will of everyone, in which the state should obey and enforce. Rousseau states that, Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme control of the general will, and, as a body, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole ( ), showing that the aggregate mind of the people, the general will, has the legislative power as all powers are given to it. Locke stresses individualism in a society, while Rousseau bases the majority of his political theory on the submission to the general will, which is a collective unit. Locke emphasizes that in a society, one should still preserve life, liberty, and property. He claims that instead of being oneShow MoreRelatedA Summary Of John Locke And Jean-Jacques Rousseau1651 Words   |  7 Pages(Platz Arellano, 2011). The Enlightenment changed this way of thinking by questioning â€Å"what we are like naturally like (human nature), vs how we are influence by society† (Norris, 2017, slide 25). It brought about the â€Å"belief in the possibility of improvement of all of humanity through education† (Norris, 2017, slide 20). John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were two important philosophers of education who showed an actual respect for children and â€Å"wrote treaties that advocated more child-centeredRead MoreHobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Machiavelli Essay1855 Words   |   8 PagesHobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Machiavelli The thirteenth through the eighteenth century brought profound changes in the political realm of Western civilization. Beginning with the Scientific Revolution and only advancing during the Renaissance, secularization and skepticism lead to changes in not only the intellectual life of Westerners, but also to their politics. At the forefront of the political debate were well-versed men such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. The influencesRead MoreAn Essay on Social Contract Theory3139 Words   |  13 Pagessignify a problematic attempt to return to the state of nature. It has been often noted, indeed, that social contract theories relied on a specific anthropological conception of man as either good or evil. Thomas Hobbes (1651), John Locke (1689) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762) are the most famous philosophers of contractarianism, which is the theoretical groundwork of democracy. It is also one of a few competing theoretical groundworks of liberalism, but Rousseaus soci al contract is often seenRead MoreAn Essay on Social Contract Theory3151 Words   |  13 Pagessignify a problematic attempt to return to the state of nature. It has been often noted, indeed, that social contract theories relied on a specific anthropological conception of man as either good or evil. Thomas Hobbes (1651), John Locke (1689) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762) are the most famous philosophers of contractarianism, which is the theoretical groundwork of democracy. It is also one of a few competing theoretical groundworks of liberalism, but Rousseaus social contract is often seenRead MoreThomas Hobbes And The Social Contract3563 Words   |  15 Pagesmight be absent, if not for societal constructs. John Locke, another English philosopher published the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which expounded on the work of Hobbes by proposing a more integrated and ordered society. The societal implications meant a surrender of some individual freedoms in return for a governmen tal structure tasked with the responsibility of protections, including the basic rights of life, liberty and property. Locke inferred that external stimuli, such as life experiencesRead MoreDemocratic Party Vs. Democratic Parties1564 Words   |  7 Pagesidentifies as Liberal and who identifies as Conservative has advanced. The basis of the government was set by three men, John Locke, Thomas Hobbs, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Each of these men had a very specific idea of what the government should do for its people. In todays society Locke is considered to have a conservative take on the government while Rousseau a liberal take. Rousseau believed that all men were born as a neutral human being, not entirely good but not entirely bed either, and that allRead MoreCauses of the French Revolution Essay1137 Words   |  5 Pagesplaces experienced this change in different ways. As the previous discoveries and inventions were made by remarkable scientists like Galileo, the Enlightenment was the next logical step in the era. As incredible philosophers like Jean- Jacques Rousseau along with John Locke stepped in, people all over Europe began to realize the importance and even the mere concept of reason and natural rights granted to all persons. Apart from the common impact of the Enlightenment on all of Europe, France furtherRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes Essay1490 Words   |  6 Pagesproven through the four component parts of Madison’s model. These four components include separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism. The philosophies of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes influenced Madison in a way that allowed him to have both liberty and order at the same time. John Locke believed in individual liberty and freedom from the government whilst Thomas Hobbes believed that the state of nature is that people are born selfish. These two philosophers managed toRead MoreThe Theories Of Nature Vs Nurture1752 Words   |  8 Pages Through history, the idea of nature vs nurture has been a hotly debated issue. Nature, or genetics is often believed to be the most important aspect of a persons’ upbringing, as nature is something very intrinsic to any one person. However, many debate that nurture, or the care and encouragement of any human life, trumps nature. The earliest (proofs?) and rebuttals of these theories have been honed and developed over time by specific psychologists and educational theorists – all who hoped to proveRead MoreCollectivism vs Individualism in Ayn Rand’s Anthem2504 Words   |  11 Pagesgreatest modern philosophers, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Locke believed that each and every person has natural rights, such as the rights to private property. According to him, the only responsibility of government was to ensure that nobody infringes upon anyone else’s rights. Locke said that because government is the result of a social contract with the governed, the rights of the individual must always reign supreme (Lackner). 　　On the flip side stood Rousseau, who held that there is a collective