COMPARITIVE STUDY OF THE STATE OF NATURE OF HOBBES,LOCKE AND ROUSSEAU

COMPARITIVE STUDY OF THE STATE OF NATURE OF HOBBES,LOCKE AND ROUSSEAU

HOBBES 

Analysis of human nature of man was the basis of political philosophy of  Hobbes.In Hobbes's sense -"MAN IS NEITHER A POLITICAL ANIMAL NOR A SOCIAL ANIMAL BUT ONLY AN ISOLATED BEAST OR A PURELY EGOISTIC CREATURE".He analyses that in state of nature man act like a wild animals.Every one is driven by the endless desire.The state of nature envisages an extreme insecurity,where everyone wishes to kill and enslave others.Thus state of nature has turned into a -'state of war of everyone  aganist everyone'.Man has become solitary ,poor,short,nasty and brutish.The situation has become total anarchist type and "MIGHT IS RIGHT " is the order of the day.

                                                                                        Unlike Hobbes,who has taken a gloomy picture of the state of nature but on contarary  to him,LOCKE  draws entirely different picture of  the state of nature where the situation was of peace ,goodwill,mutual assistance and preservance.The state of nature was a state of perfect freedom.They have liberty to do anything ,it was state of liberty,not of licence . The majority people obey the 'law of nature ' i.e the law of inward mobility.Locke himself believe that -"MAN IS BY NATURE A RATIONAL BEING".So,he has innate nature of treating human with humanity.But, still there were few persons who due to their self-intrest breach the  rules and without an establish authority in the state of nature it becomes very difficult to deal with such offenders.So, man abandon state of nature and enters into a civil or political society by means of social contract.

ROUSSEAU, also depicted the fascinating picture of the state of nature. He described man a 'NOBLE SAVAGE' living a life of an 'idyllic blissfulness' and primitive simplicity and call it "GOLDEN AGE" .But the rise of civilisation and inequality made them correct.With the development of science and art private property came into existence,with the consequent division of labour .So,ROUSSEAU  came to conclusion that if man wants to recover the original happiness and innocence,he must return to the state of nature and so he also has given a thought regarding this i.e "BACK TO NATURE".