Modern Political Thought: Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau

Nature, Obligation and Contract

Michaelmas 2006

Content

The course is intended to acquaint you with topics and concepts central to the works of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, with a particular emphasis on (1) the
contributions of these three philosophers to the history of political thought, and (2) the relevance of their work to contemporary political philosophy.

Objectives

The course is devised so as to (1) develop a range of philosophical skills and (2) acquire
subject-specific knowledge. We will focus on
Constructing and assessing critical arguments in political theory.
Identifying problems of consistency and justification.
Gaining acquaintance with major moral and political concepts
Developing a historically sensitive understanding of the importance and influence of Hobbes,
Locke and Rousseau on the modern landscape of political theory.

Teaching

Teaching will be delivered in 7 tutorials. Precise arrangements to be confirmed.

As the title of the course suggests, the guiding theme of tutorials will be Nature, Obligation
and Contract. We will approach our study of Hobbess, Lockes and Rousseaus political
theories through these concepts, gradually developing an understanding of the conceptual
characteristics these theories share, as well as their differences, culminating with a comparative discussion of the role and viability of the idea of a social contract.

I have selected topics for our first three tutorials, along with essay questions and reading. For
our three subsequent meetings, a list of possible topics is provided, but we will ultimately
agree on these jointly. Essay questions and reading will be assigned accordingly. Likewise,
our final tutorial topic should bring together the material covered during the course and should
deal with the nature and role of the social contract. A suggested topic and essay question are
provided, but you shouldnt feel obligated to choose it. We can decide on specifics during the
term.

The course outline is thus as follows:

Tutorial 1:Human Nature, Conflict and Cooperation (Hobbes)

Tutorial 2:Natural Law and Natural Rights (Locke)
Tutorial 3: Political Obligation and Social Contract (Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau)
Tutorials 4, 5 and 6:Possible topics include but are not limited to:
Government by Consent (Locke, Rousseau, Hobbes)
Property Rights (Locke)
The General Will (Rousseau)
Political Obligation and Toleration (Locke, Hobbes)
Factions and Democracy (Rousseau, Hamilton, Mill)
Natural Law (Locke, Hobbes)
The Social Contract Today (Locke, Rousseau, Rawls, Dworkin)
Personal Identity and Free Will (Locke)
The Tyranny of the Majority (Rousseau, Mill, de Tocqueville)
Inequality and its Origins (Rousseau)
See below for details
Tutorial 7: The Idea of a Social Contract

Essays

You will be expected to prepare one essay per week. Essays should be approximately 1500 2 000 words long. Notes on how to write a philosophy paper can be found here. Please include a full bibliography at the end of the paper and full references for all quotations, paraphrases, etc. Please submit your essay to me by email at least 24 hours before the tutorial.
That way I will be able to read it before the tutorial.

Please note that plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Contact

If you have questions about any of the information in this outline, please feel free to contact
me. davide.cargnello@philosophy.ox.ac.uk. 07958 7957 40 (mobile)

Modern Political Thought: Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau

Course Outline

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Tutorial 1: Human Nature, Conflict and Cooperation (Hobbes)

Essay questions:

What is the theory of human nature that motivates Hobbes? Is it compelling? Is it true?
or:
Compare the role of the state of Nature in Hobbes and Locke.

Reading:

Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Introduction and Part I (Chapters 1-16). Recommended edition: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Ed. Richard Tuck.
Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government. Recommended edition: Hackett, 1980. Ed.
C.B. Macpherson.

Further Reading

Ryan, Alan. Hobbess Political Philosophy in The Cambridge Companion to Hobbes, ed. Tom
Sorell (Cambridge University Press, 1996). pp. 208-245. (If time is short, focus especially
on the section dealing with the state of nature.)
E.J. Lowe. Locke (Routledge, 2005). Chapter 6: Liberty and Toleration, pp. 160-197 (but focus especially on the section entitled The State of Nature and the Nature of Man).
Malcolm, Noel. A summary biography of Hobbes in The Cambridge Companion to Hobbes,
ed. Tom Sorell (CUP, 1996). pp. 13-44.

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Tutorial 2: Natural Law and Natural Rights (Locke)

Essay question:

What are natural rights according to Locke? Do we have any?

Reading:

Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government.

Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Introduction and Part I (Chapters 1-16). (Begin reading Part II.)
MacDonald, Margaret. Natural Rights, in Theories of Rights, ed. Jeremy Waldron (Oxford
University Press, 1984. pp. 21-40.
H. L. A. Hart. Are there any natural rights?, in Theories of Rights, ed. Jeremy Waldron (OUP,
1984). pp. 77-90.
Lowe, E. J. Locke (Routledge, 2005). Chapter 6: Liberty and Toleration, pp. 160-197. Complete this chapter.
Kavka, Gregory S. Hobbesian Moral and Political Theory (Princeton University Press, 1986).
Chapter 8: The Right of Self-Preservation. pp.315-337.

Further Reading:

Milton, J.R. Lockes life and times, in The Cambridge Companion to Locke, ed. Vere Chappell (CUP, 1994). pp. 5-25.
Richard Ashcraft. Lockes political philosophy, in The Cambridge Companion to Locke, ed.
Vere Chappell (CUP, 1994). pp. 226-251.
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Tutorial 3: Political Obligation and Social Contract (Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau)

Essay question:

Is the idea of a contract a good way of explaining why we ought to do things even though we
do not want to? Is it a good way of explaining anything else?

Reading:

Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract.
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Complete Part II.
Christopher Bertram. Rousseau and the Social Contract (Routledge, 2004). Chapters 2-5. pp.
17-96.

Further Reading:

Kavka, Gregory S. Hobbesian Moral and Political Theory (Princeton University Press, 1986).
Chapter 5: Founding the State. pp.179-244 and Chapter 10: Political Obligation.
pp.385-418.
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Tutorial 4: The General Will (Rousseau)

Essay question:

Explain and comment on Rousseaus distinction between the general will and the will of all.

Reading:

As discussed in class: chiefly, Rousseaus The Social Contract, Christopher Bertrams Routledge analysis and Rousseau by John Morley, Chapter XII.
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Tutorial 5: Factions and Democracy

Essay question:

If faction is the danger of democracy, what is the remedy?

Reading:

J.-J. Rousseau, The Social Contract

A. Hamilton, J. Jay, J. Madison, The Federalist Papers (Nos 10, 45-51, 78-81)
D. Hume, Of the Independency of Parliament, and Of Parties in General, in E. Miller (ed.),
David Hume: Essays Moral, Political and Literary
J.S. Mill, Representative Government, Chs. 6, 7, 8.
A. de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Chs. 15, 16.

Further Reading:

R. Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously (London: Duckworth, 1977), passim (but see especially
Chs. 7, 8, 10, 11, 12).
J. Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Oxford: OUP, 1972), Ch. 6, (esp. sect. 54).
P. Singer, Democracy and Disobedience (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1973).

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Tutorial 6: The Tyranny of the Majority

Essay question:

Are there any decisions a democratic majority is not entitled to take? Why not?

Reading:
Same reading as for previous week, but complete the further reading.

J.-J. Rousseau, The Social Contract

A. Hamilton, J. Jay, J. Madison, The Federalist Papers (Nos 10, 45-51, 78-81)
D. Hume, Of the Independency of Parliament, and Of Parties in General, in E. Miller (ed.),
David Hume: Essays Moral, Political and Literary
J.S. Mill, Representative Government, Chs. 6, 7, 8.
A. de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Chs. 15, 16.

R. Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously (London: Duckworth, 1977), passim (but see especially
Chs. 7, 8, 10, 11, 12).

J. Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Oxford: OUP, 1972), Ch. 6, (esp. sect. 54).
P. Singer, Democracy and Disobedience (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1973).
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Tutorial 7: The Idea of a Social Contract - TBC

Possible essay question:

Assess the competing political theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, focusing in particular on the social contract. Does either of them get it right?

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D P Cargnello
Hertford College
Michaelmas 2006