Rousseau s Hypothetical State Of Nature - 1417 Words

By comparison, Rousseau’s hypothetical State of Nature, theory of human nature, and resulting sovereign was quite different. While Rousseau also considered humans to be savages existing without a state, to him they were essentially free to do what they would, content, equal, and living in peace, uncorrupted by the modern progress of civilization. Physical freedom, however, came not without limitations, such as the preclusion of the existence of rationality and morality. People wandered nomadically, bumped into others, created language, and lived simply unencumbered by passions. They had but two natural passions, that of self-preservation and that of pity, or compassion. One person was responsible for just one task, which was why peace was so easy to maintain. Rousseau found fault with the State of Nature, that problems emerged when it came time to protect everyone’s life, liberty, and property while still maintaining individual freedom. When people came together inequal ity arose as they discovered they could do more than one task. This was the beginning of property and slavery. Now, where in the previously they weren’t, the people were now slaves to their passions. Rousseau went further, in fact, he actually dispossessed classic theories of human nature from the ideas of personal property, rule of law, and ethical inequality. He argued these evolved as humans progressed towards modern society. Rousseau argued that war and violence erupted when people began to claim ownershipShow MoreRelatedThomas Hobbes And The State Of Nature1727 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosophers the notion of the State of Nature, a concept used to describe the hypothetical conditions of human life before the development of societies, is important in determining political societies, or the governmental structures that composed these. However, many philosophers have different notions of the State of Nature. In this essay I am going to use the writings of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacque Rousseau to explain how their notions of the State of Nature shape the way they envisionRead MoreAnalyzing the Ideas of Locke and Hobbes on the State of Nature704 Words   |  3 Pagespondered debates among political philosophers concerns the state of nature concept underlying much of social contract theory, with the esoteric term being used to describe the hypothetical human condition which logically preceded th e institution of organized government. Engaging in a rigorous deconstruction of this hypothetical condition, one defined by a societal structure in which mans rights are not protected by the power of the state, provided political philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and JohnRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s Civil Disobedience1124 Words   |  5 Pageslaws to keep everyone s rights safe, our government is a democracy since we were once under a tyrannical government, and it keeps order. Three famous writers known as Henry David Thoreau with Civil Disobedience, Niccolo Machiavelli with The Qualities of a Prince, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau with The Origin of Civil Society wrote about a civilized society versus a tyrannical government. Sometimes their views agreed with mine and other times they did not. Henry David Thoreau s writing, Civil DisobedienceRead MoreThe Social Contract: Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau1377 Words   |  6 PagesThe Social Contract The three philosophers, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were three key thinkers of political philosophy. The three men helped develop the social contract theory into what it is in this modern day and age. The social contract theory was the creation of Hobbes who created the idea of a social contract theory, which Locke and Rousseau built upon. Their ideas of the social contract were often influenced by the era in which they lived and social issues thatRead MoreA Discourse On Inequality By Rousseau2135 Words   |  9 PagesWithin â€Å"A Discourse on Inequality†, Rousseau reveals a core trait of his philosophy that wasn’t present in any of his predecessors; his faith and trust in the inherent goodness of man. Many of the negative, evil aspects of humanity that he devotes so much of his time to arguing against do not arise from men, but rather from various socio-political institutions. Rousseau was a strong writer, and like any strong writer he used many different rhetorical tactics in his arguments. Rousseau’s strongestRead MoreRousseau s Influence On Politics And Literature1991 Words   |  8 Pagesand other drafts that he had made of the constitutions for both Poland and Corsica. Generally, Rousseau is seen as a moralist rather than a metaphysician in the sense that he is unavoidable while learning about history and political influence in relation to the French revolution and as well a political theorist. His thoughts are well thought out and begin with the assumption that human beings by nature are good and observations that on the other hand in society we are not good, and that the fallRead MoreJohn Rawls : A Theory Of Justice Essay1339 Words   |  6 Pages John Rawls is a world renowned, American political philosopher of the twentieth century. His views on the state of nature, society, and politics were much more distinct from previous philosophers, and his more modern or progressive life experiences can c ontribute to the separation between him and others, such as Aristotle, Hobbes, or Rousseau. However, he does have certain ideas and point of views that correlate with the views of those that Immanuel Kant expresses, and more specifically Rawls wasRead MoreThomas Hobbes Biography And View On Justice1447 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 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 was the importance of desires. He believes Law is the regulation over human kind`s essential selfishness. His worksRead MoreHobbes Account of the State of Nature and the Formation of Society2590 Words   |  10 PagesDiscuss and explain Hobbes’ account of â€Å"the s tate of nature† and the formation of society as presented in Chapters 13 and 14 of Leviathan. â€Å"The state of Nature† the natural condition of mankind deduced by, the 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in his book â€Å"Leviathan†. It is concept of the time period before the establishment of the government. It is the theory to denote the hypothetical condition of what the lives of the human beings might have been like before the civil society cameRead More Nature vs Nurture: Genes vs Environment Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction A debate between psychologist, scientists and philosopher thinkers on the spectrum of ‘nature vs. nurture’ arose concerning human development. In the nature versus nurture debate, the term nature refers to the genes we inherit while the term nurture refers to our outside environment (Nature vs. Nurture: Twin and Adoption Studies). This debate of ‘nature vs. nurture’ has existed for centuries and up to now it is still a topic of major discussion although at present time. Human development