– Jean-Jacques Rousseau Vs. John Locke Essay, Research Paper
In this essay, I will attempt to show how Jean-Jacques Rousseau s view of the state of nature differs from that of his predecessor John Locke. I will then compare certain aspects and themes central to each thinker s views and interpretations of the state of nature. Using the concept of the state of nature , Rousseau illustrates that people are essentially good and the negative aspects of society (i.e. injustice, inequality, deception) are due to external corruption of human nature and are not intrinsically part of human nature. I intend to show how Rousseau s theory of the state of nature differs from that of Locke and how Rousseau s views on the denaturing of human beings explain political and social concepts such as the right to own property and the general will of society .
According to Rousseau, there are two kinds of inequalities among men, natural inequality and political inequality. Natural inequality simply means that there are biological differences in people such as age, strength and health. Political inequality means that there are different rights and privileges given to some people over others. This type of inequality can be seen in terms of power, prestige and wealth. While due to natural inequality some people would have more skill, talent or wisdom than others, the lack of private property and possessions ensures that people are equal.
Rousseau has said that in the state of nature man is truly free and autonomous. The state of nature is the perfect state for man. To understand this, we must first look at what Rousseau truly means by state of nature . In Rousseau s state of nature there is no notion of private property. All people have natural resources available to them for their own sustenance whenever they need it. Natural resources are not depleted due to the fact that people use only the resources that they immediately need and cannot own anything beyond what they immediately need to survive. Beyond that, people don t have a claim to any form of private property in the state of nature.
In the state of nature, individuals have symbolic value. People rely on their own power and ability whereas in civilized society, people rely on external resources such as tools and machines. In the state of nature a person is more complete, having his/her entire self at his/her disposal when needed (page 41). In the state of nature a person is solitary, relying only on him/herself. A person doesn t really have connections to other human beings such as family or close friends. In addition, natural man has sentiments such as self-love and pity. Natural man is different from other animals because he/she has a natural capacity to be free-willed and the will to perfect him/herself. Rousseau explains that because man is naturally solitary then in the state of nature there is no need to form a society . Rousseau does not believe that man has a natural capacity to be ruled by another. In the state of nature, people are truly free and equal.
The state of nature is simplistic in many ways, but Rousseau believes that in it man is truly free and truly happy. Rousseau believes that man is naturally good . He believes that being good is the norm for man. If some people behave badly or improperly, they re acting in a way that deviates from the norm. People are essentially good but can be corrupted by external factors such as financial inequality and scientific innovation. Rousseau s meaning of the state of nature is basically how people would behave without the intervention of political authority and other external factors.
However while people are essentially good in the state of nature, they can not necessarily be considered virtuous. Rousseau basically means are that people are good by being innocent. In Rousseau s state of nature people do not have the capacity for language, therefore they cannot adopt general ideas, or compare themselves to other people. That is why Rousseau does not believe that people can have virtue in the state of nature. Conversely, the innocent nature of people in the state of nature does not allow for the traits of jealousy, cruelty and deception.
Using illness as an example, Rousseau claims that in a state of nature lacking the advances of modern medicine they majority of people were healthier than those in a modern unequal society. He adds that man by nature is healthy; different aspects of society make him/her sick. The inequalities of modern society contribute to the physical illnesses of people in terms of unequal food distribution, hygiene and different stress levels. In the state of nature, medical remedies were seldom needed. Before medical breakthroughs, people were generally healthy and if people did get sick, they all had an equal chance. Even in medicine there were no inequalities.
Rousseau is very critical of the views of his predecessor John Locke. Locke views the state of nature as a society that exists without formal government. Locke believes all people in his view of the state of nature are subject to a moral code and the laws of nature . Locke described natural law as laws that fulfill G-d s will. He adds that G-d s will is primarily for peace and the advancement of humankind.
Locke s view of the state of nature is more complex and limited than that of Rousseau. While Locke s state of nature is based on equality and freedom it differs greatly from Rousseau s conception. In Locke s state of nature society exists albeit it is bound by a universal moral code rather than a civil code. A person is part of the state of nature if that person is not governed by a type of political authority. This differs from Rousseau s view that people are solitary in the state of nature, with no significant ties to one another. In Locke s state of nature people are bound to a moral code which is an extension of G-d s will. To follow this principle as Locke says no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty or Possessions . In Locke s state of nature people have rights and duties. This is in contrast to Rousseau, whose conception of the state of nature is not based on rights and duties but people s behavior in the absence of a political society.
Locke establishes that people have the natural right to own property. Locke argues that in the state of nature, everyone has an equal right to own property. Locke believes that G-d gave the earth to people for them to make use of, but in order for people to use the earth they must first own it. Everything on earth is there for the use of the people. Nothing exists for its own sake. Locke adds that exclusive ownership of property is justified because it is a necessary aspect in fulfilling G-d s will (II 32). Locke believes that a person may claim property in the state of nature, when he/she labours over it. For example, when a person picks an apple from a tree, he/she is adding his/her labour to the apple (which is the property in question) and therefore that person may claim the apple as his/her property. In addition any labour a person adds to an object adds value to that object so therefore it s only fair that the person who devotes his/her labour to increasing the value of an object should have a claim to it. There is also no limit to the amount of labour a person can accomplish in the state of nature. Everyone has the legal right and duty to work.
Locke believes that there is no limit to the amount of property someone can possess, as long as that person has a positive use for the property and does not waste any of it. By wasting property, people are basically limiting the potential of others.
Locke states that the extent of the political power of the state is directly linked to the degree of authority granted to it by the people. While people are granted specific rights in the state of nature, they may choose to give up some of their individual rights in favour of giving more power to the political community in which they are a part of. The people therefore decide what rights they would choose to give up in order for the political community to have the power to perform certain functions that the people decide are necessary. The people only give up the rights the choose to give up for the good of the community and keep all other rights they would have been granted in the state of nature. For Locke, political society is based on property and how its distribution is regulated. Political society is in place to guarantee property to property owners. This applies to physical property such as land and resources as well as other forms of property such as life and liberty.
Rousseau does not believe that people have a natural right to property in the state of nature. He believes that the basis of property ownership is one way in which people are manipulated and divided in a political society. While Locke contends that there is choice individuals make in forgoing certain rights for the good of the community, Rousseau does not agree. Rousseau believes that people are manipulated into agreeing with what the powerful decide, and therefore many people in political society are forced to agree with principles that essentially disadvantage them.
Rousseau gives several examples of the denaturing of human beings, and how these events lead him to understand social and political society as he viewed it.
A major aspect in the denaturing of human beings was the establishment of private property because that basically led to inequality among people, which is not present in Rousseau s state of nature. Rousseau states that political society began when one individual decided to claim a piece of property for himself and essentially convinced people that his conduct was legitimate. Essentially, this individual was the first to justify inequality and to convince people that it is legitimate (Part II, page 60). The denaturing of human beings is essential aspect of political society. In political society people lose their natural power and their individuality and instead are given a power in which they re completely reliant on others to exercise. Rousseau claims that in political society, man is given a partial and corporate existence . As I have explained earlier, the denaturing of human beings leads to inequality and facilitates the power of private individuals to control other individuals.
Rousseau s views on the denaturing of human beings can also be applied to the political concept of the general will . Rousseau questions how a handful of powerful people can create and dictate the rights and freedoms of the rest of society. Rousseau illustrates that all people have individual wills. In order for the general will to be established, people do not necessarily have to agree on what constitutes the general will (because people are entitled to have opposing views and different individual wills ), instead members of political society should be in agreement over what principles constitute a violation of the general will. For example members of a political society may agree on the principle that one person may not own another. Rousseau shows us that it is enough for the general will to agree on what is not acceptable in society, because according to Rousseau it is impossible to establish the general will of the people any other way because people are entitled to their own often-conflicting individual wills. Rousseau is also critical of the idea of tacit consent . He believes that it is wrong to think that just because someone is a member of a certain community he/she must agree with all the ideas and decisions of that community. One should have the freedom to be part of the community and share in whatever benefits that provides to individuals that choose to be part of it (Rousseau calls this civil freedom ), but at the same time one should have the freedom to exclude him/herself from the community either partly or fully should they choose ( natural freedom ).
Другие работы по теме:
The Nature Of Government Essay Research Paper
John Locke, an influential early liberal English philosopher, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a brilliant political theorist and one of the main figures of the enlightenment, have a considerable importance in political thought, for which they are best known.
Locke And Equality Essay Research Paper First
Locke And Equality Essay, Research Paper First of all,the basis for understanding Locke is that he sees all people as having natural God given rights. As God’s creations, this denotes a certain equality.
Romantics Vs Realists Essay Research Paper Views
Romantics Vs Realists Essay, Research Paper Views of Nature Romantics verse Realists and Naturalists have different views of nature. In this essay I will portray how Romantics see nature, and then how Realists and Naturalists together see nature. It will show how Romantics had a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature.
State Of Nature Essay Research Paper If
State Of Nature Essay, Research Paper If human beings lived in a state of nature they would be free. Free from any form of government. Free from people telling them how to live and how to do their job. These people would have no boss or parents to deal with. Ideally this would be the kind of environment that people would like to live in.
Freedom Essay Research Paper State of Nature
Freedom Essay, Research Paper State of Nature To trigger off any philosophy on what should be the characteristics of the state we must first imagine living in a state of nature (living with the lack of a state). Since we cannot trace back to any time that we’ve been without government, we must imagine what it would be like in a state of nature.
Where I Lived
&What I Lived For–Thoreau Essay, Research Paper In ?Where I Lived & What I Lived For,? Thoreau?s response towards nature is of admiration and value. His respect for nature is almost religious. This is depicted in the way he describes his love and adoration for nature.
Same Thing Different Price Essay Research Paper
Same Thing, Different Price What can I say about college life? It is one of those times where you will spend the most money you will ever spend in your life. It becomes even more expensive when you have to pay out of state fees. Out of state students should not have to pay for these fees. Simply because the students are paying for the same classes that the in state students are paying for.
Locke Essay Research Paper In the Second
Locke Essay, Research Paper In the Second Treatise of Government, Locke explains different ways in which human beings can live together. He suggests there are two ways and he describes them as “the state of nature” and “civil (or political) society.” “Civil Society” can exist in many forms although there is only one “state of nature.” The determination of the best form of government is dependent on the recognition of these two types of societies.
Hobbes And Locke On Natural Rights Essay
, Research Paper According to the natural right theory, the state of nature is the original condition of human beings in regard to any common authority. In the state of nature, according to Thomas Hobbes, each individual has a right to everything, even the body/life of the other. The state of nature can lead to the state of moral chaos.
Transcendentalism Essay Research Paper I believe in
Transcendentalism Essay, Research Paper I believe in the mystical idea of transcendentalism, but I do not consider myself a full transcendentalist because I also have faith in logic and reason. I feel that I have the characteristics of being a transcendentalist, such as being one with nature and being self-reliant.
Debate Over Man Being Inherently Good Or
Evil Essay, Research Paper The debate over man being inherently good or evil is a debate which has raged since the beginning of time. Rousseau and William Golding do not shy away from taking a stance on the subject. But while Rousseau believes “nothing can be more gentle than man in his primitive state,” Golding’s believes quite the opposite.
Role Of Property Philosophers Of Glorious Revolution
? In England Essay, Research Paper The Role of Property In the seventeenth-century, England was recovering from the “Glorious Revolution” and political thought centered on the issues of nature and the limits of government. Two great political thinkers, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes took a scientific approach to analyze government and focused on the state of nature and natural rights of individuals.
The State Essay Research Paper The state
The State Essay, Research Paper The state is like God, some believe that it?s the all mighty powerful being that controls all and others just think it?s a big overblown idea. The idea of the state (and God) is fairly confusing but rarely ever challenged, except by those rare few who seem to form their own opinions.
Famous People And Their Philosophies Essay Research
Paper 1. Thomas Hobbes - State of Nature- The state of nature is war. There are no morals in the state of nature, justice is non-existent. He claims that the supreme power determines justice, in a state of nature, there is no power.
Leviathan By Hobbes Essay Research Paper Thomas
Leviathan By Hobbes Essay, Research Paper Thomas Hobbes in his book Leviathan, during the course of his argument about the social contract we make to surrender our rights of nature a sovereign in
The Significance Of Reason Essay Research Paper
The significance of reason is discussed both in John Locke?s, The Second Treatise of Civil Government, and in Jean-Jacques Rousseau?s, Emile. However, the definitions that both authors give to the word ?reason? vary significantly. I will now attempt to compare the different meanings that each man considered to be the accurate definition of reason.
The Nature Of Love Essay Research Paper
the nature of love is essentially the nature of man. The nature of love is multidimensional,universal, all encompassing, natural. Unobstructed, love is a natural state, the natural state. Let me give a little background here…
Locke And Hobbes Essay Research Paper Hobbes
Locke And Hobbes Essay, Research Paper Hobbes point of view on human nature and how a government should be run is a more realistic way of looking at things than John Locke?s theory. Both Hobbes and Locke see human nature differently, Hobbes sees people as being run by selfishness whereas Locke says that people are naturally kind.
Locke VsHobbes Essay Research Paper Locke versus
Locke Vs.Hobbes Essay, Research Paper Locke versus Hobbes Locke and Hobbes were both social contract theorists, and both natural law theorists, but there the resemblance ends. All other natural law theorists assumed that man was by nature a social animal. Hobbes assumed otherwise, thus his conclusions are strikingly different from those of other natural law theorists.
Thomas 2
Thomas & Hobbes Essay, Research Paper Thomas Hobbes, a mathematician, and John Locke, a philosopher both had great ideas on human society. Hobbes had a more pessamistic outlook on on human nature. Locke saw men living in a state of nature which was basically reasonable an cooperative. In my opinion hobbes ideas on human nature as being competitive prove more true.
The Prince Essay Research Paper The PrinceWhat
The Prince Essay, Research Paper The Prince What is Machiavelli’s view of human nature? While reading The Prince, I have come to a conclusion that Machiavelli demonstrates a view of governing a state that is so different from that of humanists of his time thought. The humanists of Machiavelli’s time believed that an individual had a lot to offer to the well being of the state and should be able to help in whatever way necessary.
Locke In Rousseau
’s Eye Essay, Research Paper The state of nature, as described by Locke, is a state of perfect freedom, a state in which man is completely free, but would Rousseau agree with this? The answer to this question is more complex than it seems. Locke and Rousseau, both great philosophers of their time, have similar ideas, but the similarities between them end at that.
Sense Of Humanism In Wordsworth
’s Poems. Essay, Research Paper Sense of Humanism in Wordsworth’s Poems One might say that the great guiding principle of the Romantic revolt was reinvigorated humanism, which was greater than any since the Renaissance. The principle dealt greatly with individualism. Humanism affected every cycle: politics, philosophy, religion and arts.
Locke Essay Research Paper There were many
Locke Essay, Research Paper There were many philosophers throughout the Enlightenment period. Some of these great thinkers shared similar views on related ideas, others differed completely. I
John Locke 4 Essay Research Paper John
John Locke 4 Essay, Research Paper John Locke embraced many ideas Hobbes presented in his theories on the state of nature and the rise of government and society. They differed however, in that Locke believed that God was the prime factor in politics. He believed that individuals were born with certain natural rights given not by government or society, but by God.
Man And The State Of Nature Essay
, Research Paper Man in the State of Nature Man’s transition from the state of nature into society is a topic that has been discussed by many philosophers in the past centuries. What is the state of nature for Rousseau and how does man go from it into society? I will explain and occasionally criticize how this happens according to Rousseau.
Rousseau Origin Of Inequality Essay Research Paper
The Origin of Inequality In Rousseau s Discourse on the Origin of Inequalities , Rousseau tries to explain the birth and evolution of inequality between humans dating back to savage man in the pure state of nature. Rousseau proposes that it was not man that progressed toward inequality as much as it was the state of nature itself.
Mother Nature Essay Research Paper Nature has
Mother Nature Essay, Research Paper Nature has a certain presence or spirit. It s an almost indescribable feeling just to go out to the middle of the sea or into a forest and just sit there in awe of its beauty. Nature has a certain mystique and mystery to it that draws people to it. Nature, described as mysterious and secretive, is a recurrent theme throughout many stories.
Laws
– Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau Essay, Research Paper Laws. We all must obey them, but why? For fear of going to jail, or being fined? Those are the individual effects of civil disobedience, but what happens what is the purpose of law in society? Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all attempted to interpret the need for laws in society, in order to maintain the good of the whole and the individual.
Federalism Essay Research Paper The Change of
Federalism Essay, Research Paper The Change of Federalism Federalism is derived from the meaning of federal; which is defined as: pertaining to the nature of a union of states under a central government distinct from the individual governments of the separate states. What this explanation means in everyday terms is that, federalism consists of the national government, the state government and the local government all having one central body of government.
Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy
Evening Essay, Research Paper In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, the immense beauty and power of nature is used to enhance the sense of procrastination that is felt towards death; leading to the complete abolishment of time. The indescribable beauty of nature has the ability to control the responsive state of an individual, whereby a loss in the sense of reality heightens the complete awe and wonder of the sheer beauty.
Hobbes Locke Rousseau Essay Research Paper Thomas
Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau Essay, Research Paper Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau developed theories on human nature and how men govern themselves. With the passing of time, political views on the philosophy of government gradually changed. Despite their differences, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, all became three of the most influential political theorists in the world.