Study Guide for Midterm

Political Thought Since the Sixteenth Century
Dr. Laurie M. Bagby

Tips for the test: Bring one large blue book or two small blue books. If you need extra paper, I will provide it. Poor grammar and spelling will detract from your grade if they make your essay difficult to understand. Pace yourself. You will have an hour and 20 minutes to take the exam. Try to divide your time evenly between the two essays.

 

The test questions will be derived from these questions. You will write a total of two essays and you will have a choice of questions in each of two sections.


1. Describe Hobbes's social contract. What role does his account of the "laws of nature" play in the establishment of the social contract and in how government should act after the social contract is established.


2. What is Hobbes's state of nature like? What makes it a constant state of war?

3. Why does Hobbes prefer absolute monarchy to any other form of government. Why does he think mixed government is absurd?

4. How does Hobbes's materialism impact his treatment of many Christian beliefs?

5. How does Hobbes want people to view Christianity? What is his ultimate political purpose for dealing with Christian beliefs as he does?

6. Describe Locke's social contract. What role does his account of the "laws of nature" play in the establishment of the social contract and in how government should act after the contract is established.


7 . What is Locke's state of nature like? How does Locke's view of the state of nature make him reject absolute monarchy in favor of a representative regime?

8. Describe Locke's view of the best form of government. What are its functions?


9 . Why is it that, unlike Hobbes's theory, Locke's theory leads to the right to revolution? Evaluate both men's theories from the point of view of stability--do either of them tend towards too much instability?

10. Explain why Locke advocated religious tolerance (with exceptions) whereas Hobbes did not.

11. What does Locke mean by "prerogative"? How is it supposed to function and for what purposes? How can it be abused, and what is the remedy?

12. Describe how Hobbes and Locke use women and family issues in their state of nature scenarios. What is their purpose? How would they explain the inequality that existed between the sexes in society?

What makes Hobbes and Locke “liberals?”

1. Both attempt to debunk aristocratic privilege.

–By critiquing the “family model”
–women are equal to men in nature
–leadership of children more naturally rests with women in nature
–relationships of men and women, parents and children are conditional
–relationships in society between men and women are contractual

–By establishing the existence of “natural rights” held equally by all people
–Hobbes: right to self-preservation
–Locke: life, liberty, property

–Through the social contract theory
–government is a result of the agreement of all citizens


2. Thus, both saw government as “by and for the people”

–instead of by and for the elite
–by posing the idea of natural equality and rights, they both pave the way for popular control of government


3. Both saw the religion as a divisive element that needed some means of control.

Hobbes:
–teach the need for established religion
–no tolerance

Locke:
–started out with Hobbes’s solution
–turned to toleration
–government guarantee of freedom
–a new attitude toward other beliefs

Both taught:

–the difference between “natural” and “conventional” worship
–both taught that we shouldn’t care about the methods of worship
–Hobbes: accept whatever methods are imposed
–Locke: tolerate a diversity of methods


4. Both relied primarily upon human reason to make positive change.

Hobbes:
–emphasizes man’s passionate nature
–but argues for the reasonableness of fear against passions like pride and hatred
–appeals to our reason to understand and adhere to the social contract
–appeals to the reason of the monarch to govern with natural law in mind

Locke:
–man appears capable of reason even in nature
–the laws of nature are “rules of reason” known to all
–the social contract is a rational agreement to make life better
–leaders in society are to exercise restraint and vigilance over prerogative

Both in effect warn people and leaders to conform to more rational behavior or face the consequences.

The “Enlightenment” simply took these points further, or “radicalized” them.


1. Anti-aristocracy
–goal at its most extreme: the elimination of difference

2. Deepening of democratic sentiments
–popular participation
–democratic culture

3. Agnosticism, deism, atheism
–a more profound critique of traditional religion
–the possibility of eliminating “superstition”

4. A faith in human reason to surmount all problems
–eliminating instead of controlling conflict (born of differences)
–eliminating instead of ameliorating poverty