HOBBES, LOCKE, ROUSSEAU AND HUME - POLITICAL THOUGHT TITANS OF THE 17TH CENTURY FROM A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE
HOBBES, LOCKE, ROUSSEAU AND HUME - POLITICAL THOUGHT TITANS OF THE 17TH CENTURY FROM A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE

Summary/Abstract: The political philosophies of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Hume represent four distinct perspectives on the origin and structure of society. Hobbes emphasizes the need for a strong state to prevent conflict, while Locke advocates for the protection of individual rights through the limitation of state power. Rousseau focuses on the idea of the social contract and a return to an ideal form of communal life, rejecting the representation of sovereignty and insisting on the general will of the people. In the light of these ideas, a society based on a legal framework that guarantees a better and safer life in exchange for obedience to the general will emerges. Rousseau also emphasizes the importance of equality and the indivisible unity of society members. In contrast, Hume questions contractual theories about the origin of society, arguing that political authority arises from the need to regulate disputes in complex societies. He highlights the importance of custom and social acceptance in the formation and perpetuation of political authority. At the same time, Hume promotes a political perspective that seeks to ensure individual freedom through a government limited by laws and through the education of the human individual. Thus, while Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau explore the nature and structure of the state and society, Hume makes an important contribution by criticizing contractual theories and promoting a perspective that emphasizes the balance between freedom and authority within a civilized society.

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