POLTHEORY MIDTERMS

THOMAS HOBBES o Longest and most destructive

conflicts in European history
born on April 5, 1588, at Westport, Wiltshire,
England. He is the Son of a Vicar of a small o Started when a protestant revolt
Wiltshire parish church happened in Bohemia.
o Religious conflict between German
- strongly denies Aristotle’s claim that Protestants and Catholics that led to
there is a natural hierarchy among human political rivalry opposing the Holy
beings with some people inherently Roman Empire and Spain
superior.
- men are NOT political animals whose 2. Puritan Revolution (1642 - 1649)
natural condition is to live together as - Religious Liberty
participants in the political community. o sought to "purify" the Church of
People are forced to live together out of England of remnants of the
fear of one another and the desire for Roman Catholic Church.
o They believed that the Church of
self-preservation.
England was too similar to the
Roman Catholic Church and
should eliminate practices not
rooted in the Bible.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT o They favored Presbyterianism

 1578 - The concepts of sovereignty and the - Constitutional

divine right of kings emerge influenced by o They fought over who was
The Six Books of the Republic by Jean
sovereign. The Parliament or the
Bodin
King?
 1642-51 - The English Civil War temporarily - Social and Economic
establishes the precedent that the monarch o To what extent must those who
cannot rule without the consent of the participate in the country’s
Parliament. economy be included in
governing the classes of the
 1688 The Glorious Revolution in England nation? (e.g., the merchants,
leads to the 1689 Bill of Rights, which limits financers and tradesmen).
the powers of the monarch in law.
3. Beheading of King Charles I (January 30,
*1651 The Leviathan was published 1649)
- King Charles I was known as someone
OLIVER CROMWELL who greatly opposed the English
Parliament. He believed in the Divine
- led parliamentary forces in the English Right of Kings, and was determined to
Civil Wars and was lord protector of govern according to conscience.
England, Scotland, and Ireland (1653–58) - His death sent a message warning all
during the republican Commonwealth. rulers that political authority is closer to
earth and the people than to God and the
heaven.
SPECIAL EVENTS
ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
1. The thirty years' war (1618-1648)
Parliamentarians (Roundhead) vs. Royalists
(Cavaliers)
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WORKS PRUDENCE or PRACTICAL WISDOM is

something more equal than having equal strength and
The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic intellect
- His first ever work which was written with
local political challenges to Charles I in
mind. He writes this in English for the
English parliamentarians.
The 3 Principal Causes of Quarrel:
De Cive (1642)
1. Competition - it is what makes men
- His work where he rejected Aristotle’s Belief invade for gain.
where He argues that “Humans are by nature 2. Diffidence – done by means of safety
unsuited to Political Life”. or protection.
3. Glory – individuals can do dreadful
Leviathan (1651)
things in the name of glory
- His most famous work wherein when
GOVERNMENT: A NECESSARY EVIL
published received a lot of controversies, but
later on became a lasting influence in the Two principal choices in life:
history of Western political philosophy.
1. They could live without the government
ORIGINAL RIGHT can be laid aside in two (state of nature)
ways:
2. They could live with government.
1. either by renouncing it outright or;
2. by transferring it to another person  a social contract bestowing indivisible
authority to a sovereign was a necessary evil
Behemoth or The Long Parliament (1679) to avoid the cruel fate that awaited man if a
strong power could not keep the destructive
- His works where he greatly shows his
impulses of individuals in check
political philosophy that is concerned with
 
the way in which the government must be
STATE OF WAR
organized in order to avoid civil war.
 In the state of nature, all men are at war with
each other and live in a constant state of fear
STATE OF NATURE of their fellow beings.
 Human nature to pursue their own interests.
 humans as rational agents who seek to If no on prevents them, they would do all
maximize power and act according to self- things to acquire it.
interest, because acting otherwise would
threaten their self-preservation. SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY
 With the social contract, people invest all
 Left ungoverned, men will terrorize each power in a third party - The sovereign, in
other in a state of nature in which individuals exchange for safety and rule of law
will stop at nothing to ensure their own self-
preservation or self-promotion.  The sovereign must be an absolute ruler with
indivisible and unlimited power, to prevent
 Men are equal in the faculties of the body factional strife and chaos – If sovereign fails,
and mind in nature (STRENGHTS and social contract is broken and citizens can take
INTELLECT) action.
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 Only so long as the sovereign could protect 8. The sovereign has judicial power in all
his subjects were they bound by the social controversies, civil and intellectual
contract 9. The sovereign may make war and peace with
other commonwealths;
GOVERNMENT 10. The sovereign has the powers of reward and
- Stability and peace, NOT individual freedom punishment
11. The sovereign may make all civil
appointments, including that of the militia.

HOW TO ATTAIN SOVEREIGN POWER?

2 ways of establishing a commonwealth:

1. Acquisition (force)
 Anyone who does not resist the acquisition
and depose the sovereign, must consent to his
control.
 A sovereign instituted by force is as much a
part of the social contract as a sovereign
instituted by agreement. Both have the same
function--to protect society and secure
peace--and both have the same rights relative
to their subjects.

2. Institution ((agreement)
 how natural man raises himself out of the
state of nature (through establishment of
Leviathan)
 
 
RIGHTS OF A SOVEREIGN

1. The subjects cannot change the form of

government

2. Sovereign power cannot be forfeited

3. Dissenters must yield to the majority in

declaring a sovereign

4. The sovereign cannot be unjust or injure any

innocent subject

5. The sovereign cannot be put to death

6. The sovereign may determine what ideas are

acceptable (he is the ultimate judge of
philosophical/scientific first principles) and
may censor doctrines that are repugnant to
peace (ideas that may cause discord within
the population)
7. The sovereign prescribes legislative rules
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JOHN LOCKE  
1661 – Louis XIV begins his personal rule of France
- Opposed absolutism and embodies absolutism in the phrase “I am the
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY: state”
 
John Locke was born into a middle-class family on 1689 – The English Bill of Rights secures the rights
August 28, 1634, in Somerset, England. of Parliament and elections free from royal
interference and also the Two Treatises of
His father worked as an attorney and in local Government was published
government, and he owned properties that produced  
a modest income; fought on the Parliamentarian side PURPOSE OF THE GOVERNMENT
 to preserve its citizen’s rights to freedom,
during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s.
  life and property, to pursue the public good
Career Path: and to punish people who violated the rights
of others. Lawmaking was therefore the
supreme function of government.
LECTURER:
 
REASON WHY PEOPLE WOULD BE
Locke took a position at Christ Church College,
WILLING TO ENTER INTO SOCIAL
Oxford in 1663 where he focused on the standard
CONTRACT:
curriculum of logic, metaphysics, and classics.
 that they expect the government to regulate
disagreements in a neutral manner.
PHYSICIAN:
 
 studied medicine at Oxford. Assistant in
 
laboratory of chemist Robert Boyle, Robert
Hooke
 He was introduced to Lord Anton Ashley
Cooper (1st Earl of Shaftsbury) and became
his aide and personal physician.

GOVERNMENT OFFICE:

 Under Ashley’s influence, Locke made

financial investments that would secure his
future and took a job working for the British English Royal Society
government researching the relationship
between trade opportunities and founded in 1660 to bring together leading scientific
colonization. minds of the day, and became an international
 Locke worked in various government posts network for practical and philosophical investigation
and received a hands-on education in public of the physical world. Today, it's the world's oldest
policy and politics while traveling national scientific academy.
extensively.
 helped draft “The Fundamental Historical Plain Method
Constitutions for the Government of
Carolina” in 1669. Locke's "Historical Plain Method" was his way of
looking at how society does things and why. He
HISTORICAL CONTEXT looked to find out how we came by our ideas, and if
they were justified or not. 1669
1642 – A series of conflicts known as the English He helped draft "The Fundamental Constitutions for
Civil War breaks out, due to concerns Charles I the Government of Carolina."
would attempt to introduce absolutism in England
POL THOERY REVIEWER MIDTERMS

MAJOR WORKS: controversy, though its message was

of much more lasting significance.
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding THE FIRST TREATISE:
 was aimed squarely Sir Robert Filmer who’s
Talks about the foundation of human knowledge and Patriarchal defended the theory of divine
understanding. It first appeared in 1689 (although rights of kings or patriarchal kinship and to
dated 1690) with the printed title An Essay vindicate the Lockean “consent of Men”
Concerning Humane Understanding. doctrine with its belief in inalienable natural
rights and freedom of men. This attacks
FIRST LETTER: patriarchalism.
Adressed to Thomas Herbert and his work THE SECOND TREATISE:
“Vast Systems of the Sciences”  This outlines Locke’s ideas for a more
  civilized society based on natural rights and
SECOND LETTER: contract theory.
Adressed to the readers
 
CONSIST OF 4 BOOKS: A letter Concerning Toleration
 Locke argued that tolerance is indeed a
BOOK1: Christian virtue and that the state as a civic
It is all about Locke's attempt to refute the rationalist association should be concerned only with
notion of Plato and Descartes about innate ideas. civic interests, not spiritual ones.

BOOK 2:  Locke’s ideas about toleration argued

-Knowledge built up from ideas against government involvement in matters
-Ideas are the object thinking of religion, advocated for a separation of
-Sensation and reflection Church and state and rejected absolutism.

*Sensation are sensory experience from The Reasonableness of Christianity

external world
 According to Locke, all Christians must
*Reflection is the minds awareness of its own accept Jesus as the Messiah and live in
operation accordance with his teachings. Within this
minimum framework, however, differences
of worship could and should be tolerated.
BOOK 3:
-Relationship between language and experience -
Some Thoughts Concerning Education
Words to communicate ideas
 This book explains how to educate the
BOOK 4:
empty mind (Tabula Rasa) using three
Knowledge and probability
distinct methods: the development of a
-Nature of knowledge
healthy body; the formation of a virtuous
-Awareness of the relationships among ideas -
character; and the choice of an appropriate
Reason is the basic standard for seeking truth.
academic curriculum.
 
The two treatises of Government (1679)
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF JOHN LOCKE
- places sovereignty in the hands of
THREE MAIN AREAS:
the people.
 Epistemology
- The two treatises were a response to
 Political Philosophy
the political situation as it existed in
 Religious Toleration
England at the time of the exclusion
 
POL THOERY REVIEWER MIDTERMS

EPISTEMOLOGY  The Political Philosophy of John Locke was

Early Modern Philosophy because of the volatile and often violent
divided itself into two schools: background in Britain in the second half of
rationalism and empiricism. 17th century.
Much like philosophical  
reasoning itself, the divide  The most important work of John Locke
stems from the minds of the regarding his Political Philosophy is the
ancient Greeks. Two Treatises of Government primarily on
the SECOND TREATISE OF
Rationalism (PLATO) GOVERNMENT.
- Ideas are source of knowledge  
LOCKE VS ABSOLUTISM
Empiricism (ARISTOTLE)  absolutism is the political doctrine and
- Experience is source of knowledge practice of unlimited centralized authority
  and absolute sovereignty, as vested
JOHN LOCKE: EMPIRICISM especially in a monarch or dictator.
 The Best defense of Empiricism for  
Locke is his work entitled “An Locke provides three arguments against absolutism:
Essay Concerning Human 1. Nobody has absolute power over one's life
Understanding” “No man’s or anyone else's life (we belong to God).
knowledge here can go beyond his Hence no such power can be transferred to
experience” (Locke,1689) an absolute ruler.
 Tells us what one can claim to know 2. Absolute monarchy, in which one person is
and what they cannot claim to know the final arbiter of all controversies and
  consequently effectively remains in the state
TABLUA RASA (Blank Slate) of nature, is incompatible with the ends of
 all human beings are born with a civil society, for no protection from the
barren, empty, malleable mind; "violence and oppression" of such a ruler
every facet of one’s character is could be found.
something observed, perceived, and 3. Absolutism is worse than the state of nature
learned via the senses (experience)
 Neither principles nor Ideas are Separation of Church and State
Innate, If they are, they would be  In 1689, Locke had argued that "the church
accept by all, however, there is no itself is a thing absolutely separate and
such universally accepted ideas distinct from the commonwealth."
   Liberty of conscience was an inalienable
 Experience right, individuals would not grant the state
 Observation any authority over spiritual matters
 Experimentation
SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY
 people live together in society in accordance
 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY with an agreement that establishes moral and
political rules of behavior.
 In simple terms, it contends that in order to
protect fundamental rights and advance
societal harmony, government can exist only
with the consent of the governed
 
  STATE OF NATURE
 an individual is born into a state of nature,
where each person is born with God-given
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natural rights, where these rights are not 3. FEDERAL - consists of the right to act
subject to any kind of government. -state internationally according to the law of
originated due to a social contract nature
   
NATURAL RIGHTS OF MAN: LIFE,  Countries must follow the dictates of natural
LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY law and punish one another for violations in
NATURAL LAW: PRESERVATION OF order to protect the rights of their citizens
MANKIND; individuals have both right and duty to  
preserve their own lives “Revolution is not only a right but an obligation
  in some circumstances”
3 Features of State of Nature:  
1. Rational, social, and sympathetic people RELIGIOUS TOLERATION
2. State of nature was peaceful  17th century was a struggle of
3. Freedom and equality within the limits of religion( Religious turmoil) -Locke was a
reason protestant -Thought that bible was in
 Human nature is inherently selfish, but agreement with human reason -Against
characterized by reason and tolerance enforcing religion and coercing uniformity
 
3 Shortcomings according to Locke: AGAINST ATHEISM
1. The law of nature was not clearly defined  the denial of God’s existence would
2. There was no executive to enforce decisions undermine the social order and lead to chaos
3. There was no judiciary to settle the disputes
between different individuals and groups. ON EDUCATION
Being judge to their own case would be  Locke’s epistemological positions in the
against to the natural law. Essay Concerning Human Understanding
lead him to take education to be extremely
STATE OF NATURE IS UNSTABLE (full of fear important for his political philosophy. His
and continuous dangers) attack on innate ideas increases the
 Individuals are at risk from physical harm importance of giving children the right sort
(this means that they are unable to pursue of education to help them get the right sorts
any goals requiring stability or cooperation of ideas.
with others  how children might be raised in such a way
that they will be the sorts of citizens who
IN SUCH CONDITIONS, GOVERNMENT function well in a liberal society.
ARISES  
 government officials need to represent the "Cherish curiosity, gently rub away innocence,
rights of the people. spare the rod, secure attention, provide
 humans are born into a state of nature, which recreation, treat children as rational, and explain
involves absolute freedom and equality. the purpose of instruction."
From this state, humans would agree to enter  
into a society to secure their rights against
the contingencies of life
  Why is he called the father of Liberalism?
SEPARATION OF POWERS (LIMITED In Pursuit of Useful Truths
GOVERNMENT)  Locke so well encapsulated the
1. EXECUTIVE - ultimate authority over Enlightenment mind because he passionately
"how the force for the commonwealth shall pursued all knowledge that could be used to
be employed". enhance human life and happiness. As a
2. LEGISLATIVE - enforcing the law friend of his said, what Locke “chiefly
loved” were “truths that were useful, and
with such fed his mind.”
POL THOERY REVIEWER MIDTERMS

societies grew larger and more complex ,

The Importance of Intellectual Honesty institutionalized political authority proved to
 Because Locke aimed to discover useful be more effective way of settling disputes
knowledge, he held and repeatedly stressed and maintaining order.
that we must follow the truth wherever it
leads, even if doing so reveals that earlier we
had been wrong. There’s no sense in digging LOCKE VS HOBBES
in one’s heels to defend a position to save  Locke powerfully challenged Hobbes’
face. absolutism in Two Treatises of Government.
He shares with Hobbes the idea that the only
Deal with Men by Reason, Not Force legitimate, basis of power is the consent of
 In his thinking about man’s mind, Locke hit the people.
upon an epistemological principle that  he denies that the people would never ever
would have profound political rationally consent to surrender all power to
consequences, but not before he reversed an absolute sovereign.
some of his views.  
 
ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT TO REVOLT
 A government that did not respect and  Elected representatives of the people are
protect people’s rights or unnecessarily prevented from assembly
constrained their liberty.  Foreign powers are bestowed with authority
 He is famous for his idea of a limited over people
government and liberalism as a political  The election system or procedure is changed
ideology. without the consent of the people
   Rule of law is not upheld
 Government deprived the people of their
rights
 

 
 
LOCKE'S STATE OF NATURE
 the state prior to the social contract and the
establishment of government-is thus not a
pre-political state of war. It is a state of self-
government in which people already have
natural rights corresponding to the natural
law provided by God and discoverable by
reason.
 The reason why people agree to form a
social contract and establish an
institutionalized government is thus not their
inability to rule themselves or to live
together in peace. Locke argues that as the