Thomas Hobbes argued that humans were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish. If not strictly controlled,
they would fight, rob, and oppress one another. Life in a "state of nature" - without
laws or other controls
- would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." To escape that "brutish” life, people enter into a
social contract with a ruler, giving the ruler absolute power in order to prevent anarchy.
John Locke thought that people were basically reasonable and moral. He argued that man had certain inalienable rights that no government
could deny. These included the right to life, liberty, and property. According to Locke, the best kind of government had limited power and was
accepted by all citizens. Locke rejected the idea of absolute monarchy. He believed that if a government attempted to deny people their natural
rights, then the people had the right to replace the government
Rousseau believed that people were basically good but were corrupted by society. In an ideal society,
people would make the laws and would obey them willingly. Rousseau put his faith in the "general will”
- the will of the majority. According to Rousseau, the problem of government was that too few people
had control over the masses.
Charles-Louis de Secondat, the Baron de Montesquieu, studied politics throughout his life and wrote a
huge and exhaustive study of government. One of his key views was that authority should be divided. He
believed that each branch of government should serve as a check on the other branches.
Which of the above discussions of Enlightenment Philosophers best fits with the spirit of the Declaration of Independence?
A. Rosseau
B. John Locke
C. Hobbes
D. Montesquieu