Thomas

Hobbes
Born April 5, 1588, Westport, Wiltshire, England
Died: December 4, 1679, Hardwick Hall,
Derbyshire
• English philosopher and scientist, and historian
• Wrote views of government in Leviathan
(published in 1651)
 • Leviathan- a sea monster (whale, crocodile –Job 41,
Ps.74:14 devil after Isa. 27:1)
Old Testament references to a huge sea
monster, Leviathan (in Hebrew, Liwyāthān), are thought to
spring from an ancient myth in which the god Baal slays a
multiheaded sea monster. Leviathan can also be
immensely useful as a general term meaning "something
monstrous or of enormous size."

 Social Contract Theory- based on the relation between the

absolute sovereign and the civil society.
 Thomas Hobbes
• People are selfish, greedy
• Believed people needed government to
impose order
• Absolute monarchy
• Divine right
• ABSOLUTE MONARCHY – is a form of government in
which the ruling monarch enjoys absolute control without
limitations from a constitution or from law.
• MONARCH- the head of the state and head of government
with unrestricted political power.
-power transmits either through marriage or
hereditary to offspring of the ruling monarch.
 DIVINE RIGHT- God’s representative
 John Locke
• English philosopher and physician
• Most Influential of Enlightenment thinkers
• The Age of Enlightenment (also known as the Age of
Reason or simply the Enlightenment) was an intellectual
and philosophical movement that dominated the world of
ideas in Europe during the 18th century, the "Century of
Philosophy".
• Father of Liberalism
• LIBERALISM- based on the social contract,
arguing that each man has a natural right to life,
liberty and property and governments must not
violate these rights.
- is the belief that people should
have a lot of political and individual freedom.
• Born: August 29, 1632, Wrington, United
Kingdom
• Died: October 28, 1704, High Laver, United
Kingdom
Baron de
Montesquieu
 French judge, man of letters, and
political philosophers
Born: January 18, 1689, La Brede, France
Died: February 10 1755, Paris, France
• Theory of separation of government powers:
1. Executive – is the organ exercising authority in and
holding responsibility for the governance of a state. The
executive executes and enforces laws.
2. Legislative- belonging to the branch of government that is
charged with such powers as making laws, levying and
collecting taxes, and making financial appropriations.
3. Judicial – belonging to the branch of government that is
charged with trying all cases that involve the government
and with the administration of justice within its jurisdiction
• Checks and Balances- each branch of government should
check (limit) the power .To avoid placing too much
power with one individual or group of individuals.
Jean –Jacques
Rousseau
 was a Genevan philosopher, writer and
composer.
Born : 28 June 1712, Geneva, Switzerland
Died : 2 July 1778, Ermenonville, France
• He was also a musician and lover of nature – because of
his freedom of spirit and thought, he is considered an
influential figure of the European Enlightenment and a
precursor of Romanticism.’

• Romanticism was an artistic, literary, musical and

intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward
the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its
peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850.

• His most influential political work was the Social

Contract (1762) – which promoted the ideal of a more
egalitarian republicanism.
• Egalitarian- relating to or believing in the principle that
all people are equal and deserve equal rights and
opportunities.