Locke vs. Hobbes?

Question

Well, I need a thesis for a report I'm writing that compares and contrasts Locke and Hobbes as well as talks about how Locke influenced the Declaration of Independence.

I've written the paper, but I just need a thesis.

I was thinking of summing their beliefs in a concise sentence, but I am not able to do this. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Please and Thank You! (:

Answer 1

I would go with the differing thoughts on government.  Locke thought that government was based on the consent of the people; Hobbes wrote that only through the rule of an absolute monarch could government function.  Locke believed that even a monarch needed the support of the people, while Hobbes believed that the people needed the monarch to keep the society from collapsing.

Answer 2

John Locke believed that men were born free, are generally peaceful beings, and that they were capable of collaborative decision-making to ensure upholding their natural rights to life, liberty, and especially property. Thomas Hobbes on the other hand believed that men were selfish, were often at war with each other, and that they needed an absolute sovereign to uphold their natural rights, especially their right to life.