Thomas Hobbes Theory Of Natural Law - 1794 Words

For many years now, political philosophy has been dealing with ideas on how to make society more moral, unprejudiced and just. Within this concept is whether laws and rules created in society are moral and fair and how these can vary between human beings and traditions. Therefore the whole notion of Natural Law governing society has been reached from different conclusions, which in turn sees Thomas Hobbes’ social contract theory as opposing to St. Thomas Aquinas’ theory of natural law. Yet this does not change the fact that many Western democracies base their moral decision-making within Hobbes’ concept. (Kenney, 2005) The theory formulated by Hobbes, argued that the laws of nature are to be seen as divine law, in which all human beings are bound by these basic natural laws of self-preservation which directs them to the way of the good. (Murphy, 2011) Hobbes rejected the concept of higher law and argued that the citizens ought to accept the traditional laws and principles of their state even if they were oppressive in order to keep peace and security. (Kraynak, 1990) In contrast to this, St. Thomas Aquinas, who was heavily influenced by Aristotle’s ideas of ‘universal’ and ‘conventional’ law and expanded and developed them. (Vieru, 2010) His ideas centre his notion of natural law, with his knowledge of God. He bases his theory of natural law in the concept of an eternal law, which is in God. For Aquinas, law is an order of reason from God for all of the community. (SummaShow MoreRelatedEssay about Phi-286 Mod 3 Wa 1827 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment 1 Can you show how Jeffersons theory of revolution (found in its shortest form in the Declaration of Independence) follows from John Lockes theory of government? Could it follow from Hobbess theory of government? Under what circumstances? Thomas Jeffersons theory of revolution seems to follow specific criteria from Thomas Hobbes original foundation, which was further expanded upon by John Locke and ultimately fine tuned by Thomas Jefferson. To get an understanding how these threeRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes1287 Words   |  6 PagesLocke and Thomas Hobbes were both political philosophers who developed theories about how the government should work. They set up their theories around The Natural Law and the Social Contract Theory. Although John Locke and Thomas Hobbes had a similar goal, their beliefs and opinions were definitely not the same. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both believed in the Natural Law and the Social Contract Theory. They both developed and worked their theories and philosophies around Saint Thomas Aquinas definitionRead MoreTopic sentence. Thomas Hobbes interpretation of natural law is not only radically different, but1300 Words   |  6 Pagessentence. Thomas Hobbes interpretation of natural law is not only radically different, but inconsistent with the traditional view. This can be seen through the similarities and differences found when comparing Thomas Hobbes theory, and Thomas Aquinas’ theory in regards to their view of man’s ultimate goal, their definition of natural law in regards to its relationship with human rationality, and lastly how they view the meaning and relationship of divine providence and religion in natural law. The followingRead MoreEssay about Thomas Hobbes Concept of Natural Law1662 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hobbes’ concept of natural law is shown in his theory of the state of nature, the pre-state environment, and consists of two laws: individuals have to pursue a peaceful life, and are allowed to defend their existence by any means possible. This has particular ramifications in the formation of civil society, especially in terms of loyalty, morality and the relationship between man and the leviathan that is the state. Hobbes’ theory has two of flaws in particular – the logic in his theory ofRead MoreThomas Hobbes and John Locke Essay1020 Words   |  5 PagesHobbes and Locke John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were famous political Theorists among other things in their time. Hobbes who was born 40 years before Locke had a very different perspective to Locke and both will be examined more through this essay. Even though many of there theories were different in the sixteenth century Hobbes and Locke s theories became closer as the rise of the state and decline of the feudal system brought about the question of authority. Read MoreSocial And Political Order : Seat Belt Laws1102 Words   |  5 PagesSocial and Political Order: Seat Belt Laws Social and Political theories aim to define the relationships between government and citizen, and concerns the organization and basis of government. (Merriam-Webster, n.d). In application, the necessity to find a balance between two primary theories becomes apparent. Modern day social and political theories can largely be attributed to ideas of two individuals, Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Hobbes believed major government influence was a necessityRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx843 Words   |  4 PagesLocke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx In the idea of human nature; origin of state, the nature of government, the rights of regulation can be drawn as the reflection of insightful philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx. By understanding this within the context of human nature, we can see their ideas play to how they perceive a modern philosophy. Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto illustrates the desire to build a society without economic classes. John Lockes Political Theory claimsRead MoreJohn Locke s Theory Of Government884 Words   |  4 Pages This essay will discuss and show how Thomas Jefferson’s theory of revolution follows the speculation of government from the philosopher John Locke. We’ll additionally discuss Thomas Hobbes’s theory of government. Both John Locke and Jefferson’s theories contributed to the American Revolution and to the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson’s theory of revolution found within the Declaration of Independence follows J ohn Locke’s theory of government in multiple aspects, as well as inRead MoreOn Why Hobbes Is More Reasonable Than Locke1003 Words   |  5 PageskeOf all the social contract theories that have been put forth, the most influential perhaps have been John Locke’s and Thomas Hobbes’. While both are Natural Law theorists, they have completely different views of man’s state of nature. John Locke thinks of man in a natural state as a peaceful, social being while Thomas Hobbes thinks of man as an aggressive and greedy man. Both theorists also showed that man doesn’t live in a state of nature, social contracts will be formed to govern the populaceRead MoreThomas Hobbes Biography And View On Justice1447 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hobbes Introduction Thomas Hobbes sees human from a mechanistic view that life is simply the motions of the organism believes that a state of nature in human kind will eventually become a state of war of all against all. He attempted to justify the absolute power of the sovereign on the basis of a hypothetical social contract in which individuals seek to protect themselves from one another by agreeing to obey the sovereign in all matters. The key element in Hobbes’s view on human nature