1. Political Philosophers

2. “The condition of man….is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” ~Thomas Hobbes
English
Wrote Leviathan
Believed man’s natural state is anti-social and that moral rules are created to avoid chaos

3. “To love our neighbor as ourselves…might determine all the cases in social morality” ~John Locke
English
Believed people had natural rights (life, liberty, and property)
His ideas helped form the basis for the concepts used in American law and government.

4. “Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish: Too much handling will spoil it.” ~Lao Tzu, Tao The Ching
≈600 b.c.-≈200 b.c.
Chinese
Might be more than one person
student of Confucius
Believed that people should turn away from the desires of the world and society and seek inner goodness through self-reflection

5. “I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery
“I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery.” ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Born in Switzerland
Questioned whether the rule of the majority is always right
Felt that government should protect freedom, justice, and equality for every person regardless of majority’s will
One of the government’s main jobs is to protect freedom

6. “[A]n isolated individual cannot achieve all the perfections by himself and without the aid of many other individuals.” ~Abu Nasr Mohammad ibn al-Farabi
Muslim
Studied and taught in Baghdad
Believed that the best society is one that embraces the pursuit of goodness and happiness
Believed that people needed to cooperate to achieve happiness

7. “The most absurd apology for authority and law is that they serve to diminish crime.” ~Emma Goldman
Born in Russia but game to the U.S. as a teenager
Spoke out for equal rights for women, free speech, birth control and against prejudice against homosexuals
Believed in anarchism
Believed that all governments become tools of control and domination

8. “He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself” ~Thomas Paine
Born in England but settled in Philadelphia
Journalist
Strong advocate of American independence
Wrote Common Sense
Against slavery
Supporter of free public education and minimum income
Believed that the governments sole purpose is to protect individual’s “inalienable rights”.

9. What are the benefits of living in a community?
Divide the work
Produce more resources
Protection
Specialization
Achieve greater goals
Education
Trade
Socialization

10. State of Nature is a term used by philosophers to describe the condition of humanity before the formation of states or nations
Anarchy is sometimes used to refer to state of nature. It means the absence of government and a state of lawlessness

11. What is social contract?
People make a voluntary agreement to define and limit their rights and responsibilities
People will voluntarily give up freedom to a government in order to maintain social and political order
If a person doesn’t abide by the rules of the contract, he or she is not entitled to the benefits gained by the group.