History

Assignment



The progression of political philosophy ideologies has made a revolutionary impact on the
economic, social, political and military aspects of the world especially in America.
The progression of philosophy ideas and concepts in the 18th century allowed society then to
consider ways of governing that were not deprived from the church and these developing
political ideas caused philosophers to debate whether man was capable of governing himself
or needed an exclusive superior body in order for a more practical form of government.
These ideas of life liberty and property were the foundation of political advancements in the
future societies but when America declared independence, it was able to function as a
country by its own providing cotton to Britain through trade. Since the natural rights did not
apply to all, especially in the South, an outcome of this trade was slavery which became a
major part in sustaining the economy. This lead to the American Civil War which was social
impact of the natural rights fighting for a government sustaining Abraham Lincoln’s idea of
“all men are equal “and should acknowledge ‘Life, liberty and property’ for all regardless
classism and racism.

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were two main political philosopher who had confilticing
perceptions on government and their ideas practiced throughout several events in American
history. John Hobbes believed in absolutism and that “the natural state of man is the state of
war” or “bellum omnium contra omnes” in which man would kill on another without an
absolute ruler which he wrote about in his book ‘Leviathan’ during the English civil war in
which he preached the necessity of a social contract in which individuals abide to rules set by
an absolute ruler. Locke Locke however believed in a constitutionalism and that sovereignty
resided to the people and that a government should be formed to maintain protect the
natural rights from violation rather than to protect us from ourselves as Hobbes believed.
The pessimistic views of both Locke and Hobbes were influenced by their perceptive and
experiences on the English Civil war causing Hobbes to believe in an absolutism based
government with and absolute ruler or levitation in order to “protect us from ourselves”.
Locke how ever developed the idea of constitutionalism as his intake from the war believing
in a government sustain our natural rights rather than a unjust absolutism based
government. Locke’s constutionalism ideas and natural rights came to be backbones for one
of the most important documents in American history, the Declaration of independence.

Locke’s ideaology’s and concepts about constitutionalism including the natural rights ‘life,
liberty and property’ are articulated in the Declaration of independence which was displayed
as a token against the power displayed Britian which acted as the levitation figure. The
display of the levitation is shown when the British inforced the Stamp and Declaratory act
resulting in the American colonists feeling aggravated as Britain was not representing and
considering the natural rights of the population. “The Boston Tea Party” December 16th 1733
allowed the colonists to boycott against this action releasing an effigy with the statement ‘no
taxation without representation’ as role;;for the british to reconsider their natural rights and
their representation . This lead to the succession of America from Britain in the development
of the civil war and the signing of the Declaration of independence on July 4th 1776 which
was a practical example of Locke’s values of revolution and constitutionalism. As the
declaration mentions ‘unalienable rights…the governments duty to secure these
rights…throw off such government’ that fails to acknowledge these rights referring to the
levitation or the British Crown. Therefore, although the Declaration of Independence
promoted the consideration of natural rights throughout all equal men, the slave trade
proved that these rights only applied to select wealthy patricians. Mob rule



The values and concepts depicted by Locke and Hobbes is further displayed in establishment
of slavery in the cotton trade. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin to aid with the production
of america’s cotton as it was the worlds leading supplier of cotton by 1860 producing 75% of
the world’ss cotton increasing production rates by 17 fold;; making cotton production the
foundation of the American economy. This resulted in the increase of slaves by 250% and
increased the dependence of the economy on slaves against their will as the US needed
slaves in order to maintain their production of cotton and involvement in trade. The violation
of the slaves own rights clashed with the Declaration of Independence and the locke values
presented including “all men are equal…access to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”
showing how slaves were not applied for in these rights as they were considered as property
of the colonists. Although the purpose of revolution and the Declaration of Independence
was that locke’s philosophy and natural rights would be reinforced, the concept of chattel
slavery was an example of Hobbe’s leviathan in action. As the African slaves were treated as
property or chattel there were conflicting views about abolishing slavery due to distruption
of class and status and the fall of ‘King Cotton’ linked with slavery. This is displayed through
Thomas Jefferson’s quote “we have the wolf by the ear we can neither hold him nor safely let
him go…. Justice is in one scale and self-preservation in the other”. This showed that
abolishing slavery could result to be a threat towards the old masters being the leviation
displaying a hobbes influenced system. This lead to exreme measures in abolishing slavery
which was the civil war, making a chance I the social status of African slaves and the rest of
the colonists.

The beliefs of Hobbe’s and Locke’s are present in the bloodiest war in American history- the
Civil War of 1861-1865 which was a revolutionary point in American history for both the
North and the South. The war was to established to differentiate from north’s locke based
beliefs on abolishing slavery and south’s agarian values and hobbe based beliefs on keeping
slavery in order to maintain the economy. In the form of a letter, Francis Perkins South
displeasure towards Lincolns Locke based beliefs, ‘… many of the southern states justify the
conculsion that the secession of the South Carolina would be immediately formed by the
south…’. This resulted in the south to secede and to form the confederate states of America
in 1861. In 1863, Lincoln delievered the Gettysburg address as president in order to address
the controversy between slaves stating “all men are created equal” referencing locke and the
The Declaration of Independence. However the population of the south were not considerate
of lincoln’s beliefs as an abolitionist as their lives and economy were dependent on slavery
and they found slaves crucial in order to sustain the production of good and trade in order
for an economy increasing in profit. Although south feared the Northern states acted as the
leviation, north continued with their Locke initiative eventually winning the war and
abolishing slavery in America. Their victory lead to every man having equal rights and entitled
to the “all men are equal… and have access to life, liberty property” making America the
constitutional government it is today.

Even though both Locke and Hobbes had conflicting ideas both of their values were present
throughout American history but it was Locke that molded the government to its current
state. Locke’s perception on governing including natural rights and constitutionalism
provided a foundation for the Declaration of independence one of the most revolutionary
documents in American History. Although Hobbe’s idea of exerting power in the form of a
leviation is present in the history of America, it was lockes ideologies tha provided a fair and
just government. Therefore although America’s history is shaped by the beliefs of bothe
philosophers Hobbes and Locke, it is predominantly under the influence of John Locke’s
philosophy.