SOC101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Persian Letters, Montesquieu, Ideal Type
8 Oct 2013
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Suggested that people were responsible for creating the social world around them, and society could be changed through conscious reflection; conflicted with earlier view that humans were guided by god"s will, and possessed little agency (free will) First theorist to state that people were responsible for the society around them. Well known for his analysis of how humans lived before society was formed, called it the natural state. Natural state: hobbes" conception of the human condition before the emergence of formal social structures. Believed that at their most basic, humans were the same as animals; motivated by self- interest and the pursuit of power. Living in their natural state, life would be short, violent and brutish, and thus, people entered a collective agreement to give up some freedom to an absolute authority for peace. Government preserves peace but allows people to pursue their own goals for wealth and personal interests within the confines of the law.
