Second Treatise of Government

by

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes Character Analysis

A 17th-century English philosopher. Locke never mentions Hobbes by name, but he does refer to Hobbes’s 1651 book, Leviathan. In Leviathan, Hobbes argues that the state of nature is a savage and ruthless place, in which all humankind is “nasty, brutish, and short.” While both Hobbes and Locke assert civil society was created to protect humankind from nature’s violence, Locke argues that nature is a state of perfect freedom and equality, and violence only arises because nature lacks a common judge to which people may appeal.

Thomas Hobbes Quotes in Second Treatise of Government

The Second Treatise of Government quotes below are all either spoken by Thomas Hobbes or refer to Thomas Hobbes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Nature, War, and Civil Society Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2: Of the State of Nature Quotes

I doubt not but it will be objected, that it is unreasonable for men to be judges in their own cases, that self-love will make men partial to themselves and their friends: and on the other side, that ill nature, passion and revenge will carry them too far in punishing others; and hence nothing but confusion and disorder will follow, and that therefore God hath certainly appointed government to restrain the partiality and violence of men. I easily grant, that civil government is the proper remedy for the inconveniencies of the state of nature, which must certainly be great, where men may be judges in their own case, since it is easy to be imagined, that he who was so unjust as to do his brother an injury, will scarce be so just as to condemn himself for it.

Related Characters: John Locke (speaker), Thomas Hobbes
Related Symbols: Nature
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3: Of the State of War Quotes

And here we have the plain difference between the state of nature and the state of war, which however some men have confounded, are as far distant, as a state of peace, good will, mutual assistance and preservation, and a state of enmity, malice, violence and mutual destruction, are one from another. Men living together according to reason, without a common superior on earth, with authority to judge between them, is properly the state of nature.

Related Characters: John Locke (speaker), Thomas Hobbes
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
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