PAPM 1000 Study Guide - Final Guide: Administration (Government)

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Public Affairs and Policy Management
• Course: PAPM 1000
• Professor: Marc Andre Gagnon

Document Summary

Q. 13 compare locke and hume on consent as the foundation of government. The idea that legitimate government depends on the consent of the governed is a claim made by john locke. However, david hume argues that consent as the foundation of government is false. According to hume, if this was true, then only a few would have such a duty, as only a few people would ever genuinely and voluntarily consent to their government. He supports his claim by presenting examples from history, where he infers that no legitimate political authority, is based on consent, but rather was founded through usurpation or conquest, and in some cases both. I will argue that, locke"s social contract theory is opposed by hume. Hume claims that the idea that one"s duty of allegiance to a government stems from consent is false. While locke clearly places the burden of proof on those who consider the individuals subjugated to sovereign"s commands.