What was Thomas Hobbes influence on the Enlightenment and how does he influence us today?
He’s a fascinating figure in The Enlightenment and I think you’d find him interesting to read about. If you’re an American I’m sure you’re familiar with the Declaration of Independence. The D of I begins with a statement of the idea that men are created equal and have inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. This is Hobbes’ social contract. The idea is that man is born free. He creates government and trades some of his freedom for social order. The government is a reflection of the will of the people, and when it no longer serves the peoples’ needs, they have the right and the DUTY to dissolve that government and make a new one that better suits their needs. Government derives its just powers from the consent of the government. This idea was not original with Jefferson. It is not even an -American- idea but a British one. Jefferson was not asserting it to the Brits but -reminding- them of it. The Brits had had their own revolution, ‘The Glorious Revolution’ in
