NAME DATE Primary Source Activity
CLASS netw rks
The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
Lesson 2 The Enlightenment
The Ideas of Hobbes and Locke
During the English civil war in 1642, the king was forced to
flee the country. Since Thomas Hobbes supported the king, he
also left England. Hobbes settled in France, where he wrote
Leviathan. This book states his ideas about the relation of
people to their government. It also describes his opinion about
the ideal ruler.
Leviathan was published in Paris in 1651. It shocked many
people. Puritans did not like its honest description of worldly
matters. Supporters of the parliament did not like his ideas
about the role of government. However, supporters of the king
also did not like the book. They thought that Hobbes should
have made a distinction between a legal king and a person
who tries to take the throne by force.
Early in his life, John Locke was a pupil of Hobbes. Locke used
many of Hobbes’s materials to develop his own theory about
government. He described this theory in the work Two
Treatises of Government. In the following excerpt from this
work, Locke describes the advantages of a government
supported by the people over a government ruled by one
person. Locke’s ideas had a huge influence in Europe and in
America. In fact, Thomas Jefferson used Locke’s ideas about
government in the Declaration of Independence.
John Locke about natural law and government.
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Directions Read the following ideas of Thomas Hobbes and
NAME DATE Primary Source Activity Cont.
CLASS netw rks
The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
Reading 1 excerpt from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
So that in the nature of man, we find three principal [main] causes of quarrel.
First, competition; second, diffidence [being timid]; thirdly, glory.
The first maketh men invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third, for
reputation. The first use violence to make themselves masters of other men’s
persons, wives, children, and cattle; the second, to defend them; the third, for
trifles [things of little value], as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any
other sign . . . .
Hereby it is manifest [made clear] that during the time men live without a
common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is
called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man.
–Thomas Hobbes, from Leviathan, 1651
Reading 2 excerpt from The Second Treatise of
Government by John Locke
Analyzing Primary Sources
1. Identifying Point of View According to the first reading,
what do you think is the view of Hobbes about the natural
law of man?
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.
The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and
not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law
of nature for his rule. The liberty of man in society is to be under no other
legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth
[government]. . . . [F]reedom of men under government is to have a standing
rule to live by, common to every one of that society and made by the legislative
power erected in it, a liberty to follow my own will in all things where the rule
prescribes not, and not to be subject to the . . . will of another man; as
freedom of nature is to be under no other restraint but the law of nature.
–John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government, 1690
NAME DATE Primary Source Activity Cont.
CLASS netw rks
The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
2. Identifying Point of View According to the second
reading, what do you think is the view of Locke about the
natural law of man? 3. Making Inferences Do you think Hobbes trusts people to
make good decisions about governing themselves? Explain.
4. Explaining Does Locke think that people should have total
liberty with no limits? Explain.
Critical Thinking
5. Contrasting Contrast the ideas of Hobbes and Locke
about government. According to each man, what should
the relationship be like between government and the
people?
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.