These three are all considered Social Contract thinkers and in this sense they are all similar.

Hobbes argues for strong State interference and sometimes can even be called totalitarian. Locke is more for a liberal State with limited control (especially in property and religion) whereas Rousseau favors a direct democracy with some interference but only if its in the general will. All heavily influential on each other and not to mention many philosophers that followed as well as French and American Revolutions and shaping of modern states. You cannot study political philosophy without studying these three.

Thomas Hobbes English Philosopher 1588 - 1679 Wrote Leviathan - describing the state of nature where all individuals were naturally free As a result, everyone suffered from continued fear and danger of a violent death. Life of man was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. No laws in the state of nature and no one to enforce laws Only option was to create government. People agreed among themselves to lay down natural rights of equality and freedom and give absolute power to a sovereign. Could be a person or group. Hobbes liked a king for consistent exercise of authority. People had no right to revolt against a king.

John Locke 1632 - 1704 English Philosopher Two Treatises of Government State of Nature - agreed with Hobbes, brutal Required a social contract to assure peace Natural right could not be taken away inalienable (impossible to surrender) Social Contract was an agreement between the people and the king People had the right (responsibility) to revolt if the king violated these natural rights Used by Jefferson in the Declaration Property was the most important of the natural rights Governments should govern lightly a Favored a representative form of government

Jean - Jacques Rousseau

1712 - 1778 - born in Geneva Switzerland 1762 - Social Contract Theory People are good and corrupted by society State of Nature - free, equal, peaceful, and happy Ownership of property caused inequality, murder, and war. Social Contract was not a willing agreement but the rich stole land and fooled common people into accepting them as rulers. Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains Believed in direct democracy, that the will of the people could not decided by elected representatives. People will hold all political power We the people taken from Rousseau Believed religion divided and weakened the state. Favored a civil religion that accepted God, but concentrated on the sacredness of the social contract.

THOMAS HOBBES Violent place, people live in constant fear Like a state of war (not necessarily fighting but the inclination to fight and take pre-emptive measures against each other) The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone People think of their own interests over others No morality Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short life When there is no government

JOHN LOCKE Is NOT equal to a state of war It is actually chaotic but neither it is good nor bad People are equal and free to do whatever they want but are bound by the law of nature People have stronger moral limits When there is no government want [lack] of a common judge, with authority, puts all persons in a state of nature Fundamental law of nature is that as much as possible mankind is to be preserved men are free and equal Single absolute law regardless of where people live (applies to all) Can be discovered by reason alone Different from divine law

JEAN- JACQUES ROUSSEAU A primitive condition without law or morality uncorrupted moral prevails Mean are ignorant and innocent Men are free and equal Men are born with the potential of goodness Men are just like any other animals People dont interact much but Interaction and competition are unavoidable When there is no government

STATE OF NATURE

LAW OF NATURE

Man may do whatever he sees fit to protect his interests, especially his life A man cannot lay down the right of resisting them that assault him by force, to take away his life. Men are equal

Natural law is morality Morality is preservation of self without causing harm to others Morality is a natural repugnance at seeing other humans suffer Rousseau does not agree of causing pain to others in order to preserve oneself.

 RIGHT OF NATURE

Right to life/ preservation of life Right of a person to everything Right of a person to do whatever is necessary to preserve his interests, especially his life Right to equality

SOCIAL CONTRACT

Persons collectively agree to give up all their freedom and power to a sovereign (ruler) That a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defence of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself. Absolute control (authoritarian monarchy) where all powers and laws are by that sovereign Government imposes laws and order to prevent the state of war

Right to life (to live); to liberty (to do anything they want with respect to the right of others to life); to property (to own all they create or acquire with respect to others life and liberty rights) All people have natural rights These are privileges or claims to which people are entitled Governments exist by of the consent of people to protect their natural rights and promote public good The right of revolution is exercised when the government fails (people may rebel to redress the government) There is the principle of the rule of majority where things are decided by the greater public (liberal monarchy)

Whatever you need to survive is good but as much as possible, not in the extent of harming others Natural rights are on the principles of pity and self-preservation These rights make men unequal

Social contract is made among all people of that society to bring them in harmony A general will is made, and agreed by the people to abide by it Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will; and in a body we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole Direct rule by the people (republicanism/democr acy) Whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body.

References: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/563762/state/284351/Hobbes-Locke-and-Rousseau http://ericgerlach.blogspot.com/2012/02/social-political-philosophy-locke.html http://myweb.lmu.edu/jdevine/hlr.html https://www.1215.org/lawnotes/work-in-progress/hlrcomparison/hlrcomparisongrid.htm