If you’re going to talk “state of nature” you cannot ignore Locke and Rousseau among Hobbes

Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau represent the three distinct possibilities that the State of Nature could have resulted in theoretically

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau were highly influential in shaping the ideas behind modern constitutional government, particularly the U.S. Constitution.

Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan) argued for a strong central authority to prevent chaos, influencing ideas about the necessity of government.

John Locke (Two Treatises of Government) introduced the concept of natural rights—life, liberty, and property—which became foundational to democratic governance.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract) emphasized the general will and popular sovereignty, reinforcing the idea that government should reflect the collective will of the people.

Locke’s ideas were particularly influential in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, while Rousseau’s emphasis on direct democracy shaped later democratic movements.