Jeremy Patrick D.
Dela Cerna AB Political Science 2C
Conception of the State (Bodin, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau)
View of Human Nature
Bodin believed that different religions could coexist within the commonwealth. His
tolerance in religious matters has often been emphasized. He was also one of the first
men to have opposed slavery. Bodin’s opposition to slavery is manifold. First of all, he
considers slavery in most cases to be unnatural, Secondly, slavery is an affront to
religion since the law of God forbids making any man a slave against their good will and
consent. Thirdly, slavery is against human dignity, because of the countless
indescribable humiliations that slaves have been forced to suffer. According to one
interpretation, Bodin’s opposition to slavery must above all be understood within the
context of his opinions concerning the commonwealth in that slavery poses a
permanent threat to the stability of the state. Bodin relies on a historical narrative to
prove that slavery is incompatible with a stable commonwealth (Herrel 1994, 56).
Hobbes believed that in man's natural state, moral ideas do not exist. Thus, in speaking
of human nature, he defines good simply as that which people desire and evil as that
which they avoid, at least in the state of nature. Hobbes uses these definitions as bases
for explaining a variety of emotions and behaviors.
According to Locke, the natural condition of mankind is a “state of nature” characterized
by human freedom and equality. Locke’s “law of nature”—the obligation that created
beings have to obey their creator—constitutes the foundation of the “state of nature.”
However, because some people violate this law, governments are needed.
Rousseau proclaimed the natural goodness of man and believed that one man by
nature is just as good as any other. For Rousseau, a man could be just without virtue
and good without effort. According to Rousseau, man in the state of nature was free,
wise, and good and the laws of nature were benevolent.
Understanding of Elements of the state
Bodin conceived it as a supreme, perpetual, and indivisible power, marked by the ability
to make law without the consent of any other. Its possession by a single ruler, a group,
or the entire body of citizens defined a commonwealth as monarchy, aristocracy, or
popular state.
For Hobbes, the state of nature is characterized by the “war of every man against every
man,” a constant and violent condition of competition in which each individual has a
natural right to everything, regardless of the interests of others.
Locke writes want [lack] of a common judge, with authority, puts all men in a state of
nature” and again, “Men living together according to reason, without a common superior
on earth, with authority to judge between them, is properly the state of nature.”
For Rousseau, is a morally neutral and peaceful condition in which (mainly) solitary
individuals act according to their basic urges (for instance, hunger) as well as their
natural desire for self-preservation. This latter instinct, however, is tempered by an
equally natural sense of compassion.
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Nature of Political Authority
Sovereignty
Bodin's central idea is that sovereignty must be absolute, perpetual, and undivided. He
recognized that his rejection of mixed sovereignty ran counter to the political theory of
Aristotle and Polybius and apparently contrary to Greek and Roman political practice.
As per Hobbe’s view that a sovereign must be ‘self-perpetuating’, ‘undivided’ and
‘ultimately absolute’. The sovereign has a right to command the subjects. It is the duty
of the subjects to obey the sovereign. The duty of obedience is generated through
consent. The unlimited powers to the sovereign are provided to ensure that peace is
achieved and in turn the subjects have a moral as well as a prudential obligation to obey
the sovereign. The sovereign is preferably a single person and can legitimately do what
all is required to secure peace. The sovereign is responsible for making as well as
enforcing the law. For Hobbes, ‘the sovereign is created by, but is not a party to, the
compact. He therefore cannot be got rid of because he is in breach of the compact. If he
could be, his power would not, after all, be sovereign.’
Locke insisted that sovereignty is the creation of the people who contract with one
another to form civil society and who only entrust executive authority to a government
conditionally.
Rousseau defines the sovereign as all the citizens acting collectively. Together, they
voice the general will and the laws of the state. The sovereign cannot be represented,
divided, or broken up in any way: only all the people speaking collectively can be
sovereign.
Government
Bodin distinguished only three types of political systems—monarchy, aristocracy, and
democracy according to whether sovereign power rests in one person, in a minority, or
in a majority. Bodin himself preferred a monarchy that was kept informed of the peoples’
needs by a parliament or representative assembly.
Hobbes believed that a government headed by a king was the best form that the
sovereign could take. Placing all power in the hands of a king would mean more
resolute and consistent exercise of political authority, Hobbes argued. Hobbes also
maintained that the social contract was an agreement only among the people and not
between them and their king. Once the people had given absolute power to the king,
they had no right to revolt against him.
To Locke, a government existed, among other things, to promote public good, and to
protect the life, liberty, and property of its people. For this reason, those who govern
must be elected by the society, and the society must hold the power to instate a new
Government when necessary.
Rousseau argued that the general will of the people could not be decided by elected
representatives. He believed in a direct democracy in which everyone voted to express
the general will and to make the laws of the land. Rousseau had in mind a democracy
on a small scale, a city-state like his native Geneva.
Constituency
According to Locke, a ruler gains authority through the consent of the governed. The
duty of that government is to protect the natural rights of the people, which Locke
believed to include life, liberty, and property.
Rousseau argued that freedom and authority are not contradictory, since legitimate laws
are founded on the general will of the citizens. In obeying the law, the individual citizen
is thus only obeying himself as a member of the political community.
Bodin assumed that governments command by divine right because government is
instituted by providence for the well-being of humanity. Government consists essentially
of the power to command, as expressed in the making of laws.
Due to Hobbes' ideas, they saw that people cannot survive without a strong central
government that would protect them. His social contract theory established that a
government should serve and protect all the people in the society.
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