How Thomas Hobbes and John Locke responded to religious wars and civil strife
Introduction
In the 17th century England, lived two great philosophers, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Both of them founded and introduced their theories about the state and social contract. Despite the difference in their theories on how religious strives and civil war should be responded to they can both be held accountable for the changes that occurred in France and England in the late 17th century. They wrote their work at a time the world was dominated by conflicting religion and wanted to find a solution. Their solution is one of the factors that impacted the way the society continued even long after their death. Their works was responsible for changes that took place in England and France in the late 17th century.
They looked out to know the obvious truth of religion. Hobbes wrote his works when England was at war and he was in France and the civil war in the country was just beginning. The cause of some of the wars at that time was that there was too much religion that conflicted. He sought to find the solution to this conflict since these wars led to destabilization of some political structures. Locke at his time wrote a letter that encouraged pluralism of religion in one territory and it was well received by the public (Harrison, Ross 10). They helped change people’s perspective of religion and showed how many religions can co-exist
Hobbes in his book Leviathan, argues that it is the people who give power to their rulers. Towards the end of the seventeen century Locke in his work the two Treatises of Civil Government Locke emphasized that all men have certain nature rights. They have given up some of those nature rights willingly to form a government that will protect the rest of their rights such as; right to life, property and speech and no ruling authority would lay claim to control those rights (Harrison, Ross 18) these two philosophers helped to change the belief of people about power and rights of citizens of a state.
Hobbes argues that an ideal political system is a force that drives all matters into the right direction. It controls the conflicts that arise from the desires of people unlike other philosopher who came before him he does not draw the analogies between the state, monarchy and the human body he emphasizes that. He uses the metaphor of a skilled technician and a machine. The state is the machine and the skilled technician is a capable responsible leader (Hager, Alan 175). As the years evolved the society became more aware of the political system and this helped solve some of the problem Hobbes and Locke sought to find a solution to.
Conclusion
Hobbes and Locke contributed to the political change that took place at the end of the seventeenth century by redirecting people’s beliefs on matters affecting them into another direction. Both helped to show the relationship between religion and the political system thus solving some of the major conflicting issues such as existence of multiple religion. that had destabilized many political structures. Hobbes and Locke were great philosophers despite the difference in their work, their theories helped in solving the religious strife and civil war in England and France.
Work cited
Harrison, Ross. Hobbes, Locke, and Confusion's Masterpiece: An Examination of Seventeenth Century Political Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.
Hager, Alan. Age of Milton, the: An Encyclopedia of Major 17th-Century British and American Authors. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004. Internet resource.
