John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes (Social Contract Theory) 8-25-17 - 8-27-17

Dominant factor

18th century liberal tradition (classical liberals).

Declaration of Independence

3 parts - preamble: laws of nature and inalienable rights -Body: includes primarily the complaints of King George. Shows Locke's influence especially in his belief in individual rights - actual declaration

Jefferson changed the above because he felt using estate created a problem which was:

Estate was too limiting not everyone owned property if he had used estate the Declaration would been more difficult to ratify

Second Treatise (John Locke)

Factors for a strong, fair, gov't: 1. consent of the governed 2. Basic human rights/ natural rights (inalienable rights) 3. People have a right to revolt (elections) 4. Strong belief in limited gov't 5. strong respect for the rule of law 6. strong belief of laissez faire (no gov't interference) 7. importance of private property

Factors that contribute to a democracy:

High level of affluence stability in democratic regime high level of education: education encourages participation plentiful resources to bring jobs strong belief or tradition (democratic values) political culture.

3 types of Democracy

Majoritarian, Liberal, and Egalitarian

Thomas Hobbes

Political philosopher who believed the state of nature was a state of war use of force without justice or authority. (no limited gov't) Very different from Locke

The single most important aspect of Locke that we have traditionally held dear in the US is the concept of?

Property

Pursuit of happiness

Thomas Jefferson, when he wrote the Declaration of Independence changed the Lockian tenet of " ...life, liberty, and estate" to life, liberty and ____________?

Habeas corpus

a law requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court. person arrested must be informed of what they're being accused of.

Government

allocates values

Reason why we don't have an ideal democratic state

because we have an uneven distribution of power which results in uneven distribution of wealth.

Sunset Clause

classified information can not be declassified until everyone involved is dead.

English common law

common law that is expressed in judicial decisions and customed rather than statue (judge made law).

Egalitarian

democracy where there is economic equality. Gov't provides the basic need of life. (socialist) (Canada, GB). U.S is technically a liberal democracy but leaning towards Egalitarian.

Magna Carta

document constituting a fundamental guarantee of rights and privileges.

Articles of Confederation

first constitution

Locke justifies property and the eventual gather of goods to oneself saying three things, they are?

first, anyone may appropriate only as much and as good as he leaves for others, second, one can only appropriate as much as he can use before it spoils, third, one could appropriate only what one mixed his labor with.

Montesquieu

french philosopher. said that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

collective goods

goods needed for the nation

Public opinion

influences the direction of public policy.

Civil Gov't

is the proper remedy for the inconveniences of the state of nature.

Politics

is the pursuit and exercise of power.

Statutory law

laws passed by legislatures (most our law).

Liberal

majority rule but it's coupled by minority rights (rights are protected).

Law of Nature (Locke)

man is obliged to preserve himself man is obliged to preserve mankind

Interest groups

organize and unorganize that strongly influence the gov't. they control Washington.

Political culture

our attitudes towards the proper rule of gov't (how we play the rules).

John Locke

political philosopher who believed in separation of powers.

The true original, extent and end of civil government is for the protection of

property

Majoritarian

refers to democracy based upon majority rule of a society's citizens. The conventional form of democracy used as a political system in many countries. (minority out of luck)

First Treatise (John Locke)

refuted Bishop Filmer to contended that the king's rile through Divine Right. Locke said there is no Divine Right state of nature

McCain Feingold Bill

regulates the financing of political campaigns.

U.S is considered a...

representative democracy. It's not a pure democracy.

Bill of rights

restrictions on gov't passed through the first legislation session. promised by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. Anti-federalists didn't want the new constitution.

The basic premise of the "law of nature" for Locke is two fold, they are:

self-preservation and the preservation of the rest of mankind.

2 aspects of Locke's writing that were incorporated by the founder fathers into the Declaration of Independence were?

separation of powers and the right to revolt

Characteristics of an ideal democracy

small informed active citizens great respect for law and gov't equal opportunity for all gov't is always open to the people debate is encouraged gov't always responses to the needs of the people

Civil society is the opposite of...

state of nature

Gov't rules under...

the consent of the governed

What transcended the need for leaving "... as much and as good as..."?

the introduction of money

Power

the possession or control over others.

According to Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau when man went from the state of nature into civil society they entered into what is called

the social contract

State of nature

the state of liberty, natural freedom derived from natural equality, all governed by the state by the law of nature. Is characterized by the absence of a common judge. By the absence of any law of nature (Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau). At the state of nature there was no society.

Locke, in order to help answer his question about what is political power needed to explain what man's original condition was. This is found in Locke's:

theory of natural rights

Reason why we have gov't

to create order out of chaos and to provide the needs and services required to maintain society.

Theory of property

universal common Exception: man owned himself and his labor (original and natural properties). " as much of or as good as for others".