Name: Tran Nguyen Quan (18319069 Quan)

2.
Human nature is one of the profound and central concept in political philosophy,
which has been discussed by many political philosophers to contrast how human is supposed
to be in the pre-society period and in the “civilized society”. Human nature is usually used to
examine the behavior or interactions of human in the state of nature, or in the pre-society era.
hence, different philosophers’ perspectives on this concept may shape their view on the
features of the social contract and roles of government. Moreover, human nature can also be
seen as the foundation for the further development in the debate between nature versus
nurture. perhaps, the 3 most popular perspectives on human nature derives from Thomas
Hobbes, John Locke, and Jacques Rousseau.
In Hobbes’s view, human nature is based on pride and fear, since he thinks people are
born equal that they can can freely harm the others for the sake of competition to glory and
pride. Thus, that may lead to the lack of trust between people in the state of nature,
subsequently results in the “nasty, brutish, and shot” life in that state. therefore, his view on
human nature also shapes his thought on government that the only one who rules (the
absolute monarch) should be the best for social stability.
Locke sees human nature as the blankslate, that needs to be filled with new data or
knowledge, especially the recognition of property to form a civilized society. In the state of
nature, according to Locke, life is governed by the laws of nature, which guarantee people's
inherent rights of life, liberty, and property (possessions). People in the state of nature can
recognize their private property through labours or adding values. hence, it is able to say that
Locke views human by nature as an “acquiring animal”. Therefore, Locke's view on human
nature shapes his view on the role of government and social contract is to protect people’s
liberty and property rights to avoid the “state of war” in which one infringes upon others’
property without permission.
Finally, Rousseau perceives human nature as self-interested, but they also have the
high potential for good, or collective good. Rousseau refer to the term of “noble savage” to
describe human in the state of nature, which means people by nature are “fit, healthy, and
strong” and live with self-love (not self-worth) and pity towards others’ struggles. This view
shapes Rousseau’s perception on modern society and government as the institutionalized
corruption of the human nature.
Since we are living in a predominantly capitalistic world, perhaps Locke’s view on
human nature as an acquiring animal may fit best to the status quo. Moreover, to examine
one's conception of human nature, we may also need to see its linkage to that person's view of
society. Therefore, within the current world, Locke’s view on human nature justifies the
status quo best in comparison with the two others.
4.
Social contract theory describes the process from which human go from the state of
nature to the civilized society with a specific government under certain covenant or
“contract” that is collectively consented. One’s view on social contract may depend on
his/her view on the human nature. In general, as people gather to live in a civilized modern
society under the social contract, they can establish the “just” moral and political laws, while
giving up parts of their liberty to the legitimate authority for the sake of collective goods
(protection, property rights, or the general will).
Therefore, social contract should be an useful concept to examine how government
are supposed to work. A social contract based on the principles of creating a society that
protect the rights of private property should be made to form a government that can
institutionalize the protection of such rights. Or a social contract that are made to prevent the
violent death from a war of all against all should be contracted with an absolute monarch who
have the authority to make the final decision in any dispute to govern social harmony.
Again, perhaps Locke’s perception on social contract should be the best among his,
Locke’s, and Rousseau’s view, since it associate with many government in the current
capitalistic world. Within a society featured by the free market, government would play a
significant role in regulating the laws related to contract, property, and govern smooth
operation of the market. Moreover, as we can see in many countries, especially the US,
government is divided into the multiple branches that mutually support each other's to
properly function and guarantee the rights of citizens.
3.
From Locke’s view on human nature, it can be deduced that private property is one of
the central idea when approaching Locke’s thought in general. In the state of nature, one can
“lawfully” achieve private property through labours of adding values, which fits the laws of
nature. Then, Locke believes that the recognition of private property right is one of the
critical juncture in human development. By it, people as the “acquiring animals” are urged to
form a “social contract” with government to guarantee their property rights, which is the
manifestation of how his view on private property affects his view on government.
Therefore, to Locke, a civilized government with separated power, or multiple
branches including the legislative and executive branches, in which the importance of a
strong elected legislature is emphasized, would be the best to protect the private property
rights, life, and liberty. According to Locke, if there is no separation of power, or one
dominate branch, the government or the dominant branch may infringe upon the laws that
protect life, liberty, and property, which results in corruption (tyranny) and even the
malfunction of society which is based on the private property rights. In that case, people
would have the right to forsake their submission and overthrow that corrupted government.
5.
Hobbes believes the best government is the one in which one man-the sovereign,
usually absolute monarchy. His perception on government is also influence by his view on
the function of social contract to prevent the violent death from the war of all against all in
the state of nature. Moreover, Hobbes argues that by agreeing to the social contract, people
give up their rights and submit to the “Leviathan” or the one man that rule who can provide
the security on behalf of all people. Hobbes insists that the ability to provide the best
protection makes tje legitimacy of the sovereign, since the sovereign has the unification of
rights to rule and the legislation and execution of consented rules to make the final (best or
most rational) decision in any disputes. Last but not least, Hobbes claims that any separation
of power or equal liberty would degenerate society back to the state of nature, where
everyone has the equal right the harm the others and cause the war of all against all which
results in the violent death.
7.
Aristotle sees the middle class as the best class that any stable society would be based
on. The middle class is seen as the midst between the wealthy and the poor class, which
reflects into Aristotle’s view on ethics, which is virtue. Virtue is the degree of appropriation
of human behaviour that makes a man thrive as a human.
The middle class is the one that best fits to engage in politics as a “political animal”.
According to him, the middle class would avoids the inherent arrogance or narcissism of the
wealthy class, while being reluctant to the envy featured by the poor class. For him, as long
as the middle class prevails, a society can be governed by polity, the best form of government
according to him. Moreover, Aristotle argues that a society that lacks the middle class would
be seen as the society in which the there is only master-slave relationship. Moreover, if any of
the two extremities classes prevails, they may lead to a society governed by oligarchy or
democracy, which are seen as “perverted” by Aristotle. Finally, his view on the middle class
also reflect the modern view, that the middle class is the predominant one in the society,
those strength also reflect the economic strength of a society.