The Arguments Against Different Social Contract Theory

Summaries & Agree/Disagree

After reading the opinions and theories of both Hobbes and Locke, I can definitely say that it seems like both men had very different circumstances and experiences to shape their outlooks on philosophy and human behavior. Hobbes’ theory centers around a plan of “all for one,” mainly a sovereign that would have absolute ruling power. On the contrary, Locke’s theory is more predicated on the rights of the people and focusing on individual freedom.

Hobbes or Locke?

Regarding Locke’s theory, the main example that may relate to his theory is a person who has an interaction with a police officer. The officer, depending on his or her goodwill, may read off a list of rights to the person in question, such as a right to an attorney and other things like that. There are a few examples of both theories in today’s society, but I tend to think that Hobbes’ theory has more resounding and evident occurrences in our world today. The two examples of Hobbes’ theory would be the law/court system and air travel via the Transportation Security Administration. In the two views article, Hobbes mentioned that “if there be no power erected, or not great enough for our security, every man will—and may lawfully—rely on his own strength and art for caution against all other men.” If someone stole money or other personal belongings from another civilian, than the victim may take matters into their own hands to get the items back or engage in physical action (i.e. fighting) to punish the person who committed the act. Instead of doing this, the victim can go to the courts and put the issue upon a judge and a jury for them to observe both the victim and the defendant. From there, both the victim and defendant will have to place their faith in the court system and give away their power on the condition that the other person does the same thing as well. As a result, the court system will do their best to find the truth and rule against the person that may have been at fault.

The second example of Hobbes’ theory is air travel via the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). For the most part, once a person has purchased a ticket for a flight, the person feels that he or she should be able to get onto the plane without any issues and bring any belongings as needed. On the other hand, the TSA focuses on making air travel safe and accommodating for all flyers and staff. Because of this, the TSA has a protocol that they follow very rigorously, including the ban of certain items that can be used as weapons such as guns. They search each piece of luggage and also conduct body searches at every airport.