Who rules?

Political Philosophers...  Asked “why government”?  Why does man engage in government?  Wrote about the role of government  What is the purpose of government?  Wrote about the “state of nature”  A philosophical place where there is no government  Wrote about natural rights  All mankind are born with these  Developed theories of government So who are they, and what did they say? And, how did they influence the founding fathers?

Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes  Leviathan: people are selfish and ambitious  Preferred an absolute monarchy to control ambition  SON: “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”  NR: freedom and equality (can be forfeited)  TOG: Implied Contract: people give up freedom for protection even if the ruler is cruel; cannot overthrow or replace government

John Locke

John Locke  Two Treatises of Government  Preferred constitutional monarchy; property owners can vote  SON: Brute force, preservation of self/property  NR: Individuals have inalienable (natural) rights  Life, liberty, property  TOG: Social Contract: People consent to be governed in order to protect their natural rights – mainly they want to protect their security; when security goes unprotected; people are supreme and should revolt

Discuss these questions in small groups:  Why did Jefferson say that Locke’s little book on government is “perfect”?  What are the characteristics of the state of nature (as Locke sees it)?  What does Locke say about the “dissolution of government”?  What is the social contract?  How much influence did Locke have on the founding fathers?

John-Jacques Rousseau:

John-Jacques Rousseau  The Social Contract: “Men are born free, but everywhere he is in chains”  Preferred government: direct democracy  SON: men are born free, equal, innocent and happy, but claims to property ownership lead to violence  NR: Life and liberty (property is a fraud on the poor by the rich)  TOG: People should act in the interest of the public good. Rousseau called this “the general will.”

How much did Locke influence Jefferson? Jefferson:Locke:  “life, liberty, pursuit of happiness”  “to secure these rights”  “all men created equal”  “consent of the governed”  “The history of the King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries”  “life liberty and property”  “preserve himself, his liberty and property”  “men by nature being free equal and independent”  “by consent of every individual... which is only by the will and determination of the majority”  Tyranny is the exercise of power without right”

For tonight’s reading:  What influence did Locke have on Jefferson?