21654 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Tabula Rasa, Sociality, Totalitarianism
Values: Rights, Social Contract and Utilitarianism
Enlightenment 1620s - 1789 (French Revolution)
Reason idealised as the primary source of authority and legitimacy, departing from Greek ideals
Most advanced ideals of liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and the
separation of church and state
Herald social contract theories, undermining the monarchy and the church eventually stimulating to
revolutions across Europe and America
Radical Stream - promoted democracy, liberty, challenging religious authority
Accomodation Stream - balance between reform and tradition
Conservative Stream - counter-enlightenment
Thomas Hobbes: Security
-Not religious happiness in heaven, but stability, peace and happiness on earth
-His book Leviathan (Mortal God) argues that in a “state of nature” (without government) humans
live in a “state of war”
-Everyone has the right to do whatever required to defend themselves
-Everyone also has a right to transfer that right by entering into a social contract agreeing not to
harm each other
-Rights are transferred to a sovereign, given absolute power to make laws (therefore above the
law) and provide security and justice
-All have a duty to obey
-Justifies the divine right of kings (as representatives of God) and strong government
John Locke: Human Rights
-Advocated that Natural law (in a state of nature) includes the rights to life, liberty and property
-Demands that “No one aught to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions”
-To protect these rights, citizens tacitly consent to form a social contract - Give up some liberty to
a rightly constituted government
-Governmental rule should be popular, limited, responsible and representative
-People have a right to revolution
-Theory inspired revolutions across Europe and the US
Rousseau: Equality
-Inequality causes exploitation and a lack of compassion
-Describes the state of nature as pre-social and hence without conflict
-People are born tabula rasa (a clean slate) but are corrupted by society
-As people associate conflict arises
-People form a social contract giving sovereignty to the general will
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Document Summary
Reason idealised as the primary source of authority and legitimacy, departing from greek ideals. Most advanced ideals of liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and the separation of church and state. Herald social contract theories, undermining the monarchy and the church eventually stimulating to revolutions across europe and america. Radical stream - promoted democracy, liberty, challenging religious authority. Accomodation stream - balance between reform and tradition. Not religious happiness in heaven, but stability, peace and happiness on earth. His book leviathan (mortal god) argues that in a state of nature (without government) humans live in a state of war . Everyone has the right to do whatever required to defend themselves. Everyone also has a right to transfer that right by entering into a social contract agreeing not to harm each other. Rights are transferred to a sovereign, given absolute power to make laws (therefore above the law) and provide security and justice.
