AP Gov Philosophers

Adam Smith

A Scottish economist who used reason to analyze economics systems. Believed in a free market system. Believe in Laissez-faire economics. An economic system that operates without interference from the government.

What is the Leviathan?

A sea monster in the Bibble. A creature that cannot be beaten. This serves as a metaphor of how Hobbes believes nature's leader should be strong enough that is beyond being challanged.

Thomas Hobbes-- ideal government

Absolute monarchy or benevolent dictator

Social Contract

An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed. This was created by Thomas Hobbes.

John Locke

Believed people were naturally happy, tolerant and reasonable. Everyone is entitled to life, liberty, and property. Believed that government was to protect the rights of people and if the government failed then the people had the right to overthrow the government. Believer in religious tolerance, he wrote that coercing religious uniformity could lead to social disorder. Most influential. People can overthrow the government through voting. The government and laws and policies will never ever be 100% to our agreement. If you try to force religion on the whole country, you would have chaos and social disorder. Religion was the biggest attribution

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Believed that people were basically born "good" and society made people bad. Believed that government should work for the good of all people. Believed in the equality of all people and they should be treated equally in society. People are born good and society messes them up

Thomas Hobbes

Believed that people were selfish and greedy and needed government to impose order. He believed that people should give up some freedoms in exchange for the peace, safety and order that government could provide. This is called the social contract. Believed in the natural equality of all men, and that consent of the people. Most influential. Any legitimate political power has to come from the consent of the people. Believer in democracy

Baron de Montesquieu

Believed the best government was one divided into different branches in order to keep one group or person from becoming too powerful.

Montesquieu

Born 1/18/1680; an enlightened philosopher, lawyer, and author; wrote Spirit of Laws, on his own theory; ideas include separation of powers, branches of government, checks and balances, spread of power into executive, legislative, and judiciary, need separation to have liberty; influenced by John Locke

Rousseau

Born 2/28/1712; a musician, teacher, philosopher, no education- was an apprentice and gained experience, wrote The Discourse I, II, and III, The Confessions, The Social Contract; had idea of social contract, lose some liberties to gain others (civil liberties/rights), people should have relationships with themselves, can't destroy nature; influenced by Aristotle

Thomas Hobbes

Born 4/5/1588; Hertford college, Oxford, writer, philosopher, political scientist; wrote Leviathan; social contract, people had to give up certain liberties for the protection of the government, thought people were by nature were selfish and would act in self-interest if necessary, thought the natural world was evil and harsh- government should protect people from it, believed it was the government's duty to protect the weak from the strong; influenced by Aristotle

John Stuart Mill

Born 5/20/1806 London; ethicist, economist, writer, studied political party, quaker; believed in socialism, liberal ideas, liberty, feminism, women rights, good for majority and benefits, utilitarianism, free speech- need arguments/conversation, both sides of a story, harm-principle: government only interferes if people are being hurt; influenced by Jeremy Bentham

John Locke

Born August 29, 1632 UK; Oxford; wrote Two Treatises of Government; believed in individual rights, natural rights, separation of powers, monarchy wouldn't work because one person can't have absolute control over another, majority rule, government shouldn't have absolute power- limiting government, legislative body should help not hurt people, can't take someone's property without consent; "life, liberty, pursuit of property"; influenced by Thomas Hobbes

John Locke--ideal government

Constitutional monarchy or representative democracy

Jean Jacques Rousseau-- ideal government

Direct democracy

John Locke's natural rights (and who grants them)

God gives to all the right to life, liberty, and property (but isn't really a divine right guy)

Jean Jacques Rousseau-- role of government

Governments must follow the general will, consensus of the people it governs

John Locke-- role of government

Governments must guarantee life liberty property pursuit of happiness

Baron de Montesquieu-- role of government

Governments must maintain law and order and protect personal liberties of citizens. Separation of power between branches of government

Thomas Hobbes--role of government

Governments must promote peace and security. Eliminate obstacles that threaten people

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

He also believed in the equality of all people and they should be treated equally in society.

Thomas Hobbes

He believed in the natural equality of all men and that legitimate political power must be representative and based on the consent of the people.

John Locke

He believed religious uniformity could lead to social disorder.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

He believed that government should work for the good of all people.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

He believed that people were basically born "good" and society made people bad.

John Locke

He believed that people were naturally happy, tolerant and reasonable.

John Locke

He believed that the government was to protect the rights of the people and if the government failed then the people had the right to overthrow the government.

Baron de Montesquieu

He believed the best government was one divided into different branches in order to keep one group or person from becoming to powerful.

Thomas Hobbes

He believes that people should give up some freedoms in exchanhge for the peace, safety, and order that the government could provide.

Thomas Hobbes

He believes that people were selfish and greedy and needed government to impose order.

John Locke

He said that everyone was entitled to life, liberty, and property.

Locke was influenced by what event?

His father supported the King (who was killed).

Who believed the state of nature was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short? (tare each other appart)

Hobbes

Who believes State of Nature = State of War?

Hobbes

Who believes government's purpose is to protect us from ourselves?

Hobbes

Who was writting as the English Civil War was a bruttal mess and therefore advocated for a strong leader that can keep people form destroying eachother?

Hobbes

Who wrote Leviathan?

Hobbes

Who was writing after the Glorious Revolution?

John Locke

"Live and let live" would suit which philosopher?

John Stuart Mill

Who wrote On Liberty?

John Stuart Mill

According to John Stuart Mill, how can we allow the greatest good for the greatest number of people (utilitarianims)?

Liberty- eveyone does as he wants as long as he does not hurt others

Rousseau

Like Hobbs and Locke, he talks about social contract. His contract and ideas are based on what he believes makes government legitimate: one which reflects the general will. He believes freedom is the submission to the general will.

Who supports revolution if natural rights are not being protected?

Locke

Where does soverignty rest? (According to Hobbes?)

Monarch

Aristotle-- state of nature

Natural laws, laws found in nature throughout time we're history

Where does soverignty rest? (According to Locke?)

People

Thomas Hobbes-- state of nature

People are free, but afraid and opressed. Life is nasty, brutish, short, violent

John Locke-- state of nature

People are free, but have certain natural rights: life, liberty, or property

Jean Jacques Rousseau-- state of nature

Peoples are free, equal and happy. Utopian, Idyllic

Baron de Montesquieu-- ideal government

Republic

Aristotle-- ideal government

Republic rule of law

Who wrote "Man is born free. But everywhere he is in chains"?

Rousseau

Who wrote "the social contract"

Rousseau

Constitutionalism

The limitations of government by law

Laizzez-faire

This is an economic system that operates without interference from the government. This was created by Adam Smith.

Baron de Montesquieu-- state of nature

Timid people unite for strength then take from weaker

Goal of government according to Locke?

To protect natural rights

Aristotle-- role of government

To provide justice, fairness ethics and morality. Governments must act in an ethical manner

Locke's social contract

Very individualist. It is not about the general will but about rights.

Montesquieu

Wants a new way to organize government within Enlightenment principles. He wants separation of powers (draws on from the Roman Republic which has legislative, executive, and judicial individual branches). Unlike Voltaire's Philosopher King, Montesquieu realized that when you observe history (an empiricist notion) favored governments ruled by more than one. This model is based on JEALOUSY (Greed). Which is not good or bad, it is natural. We should be suspicious and thus have checks and balances.