Beginning of Essay
What justifies the authority of government? Under what conditions is revolution against that government justified? How does Locke's answer to the previous differ from Hobbes's? What difference in their "social contract" theories results in that difference? Each o ....

Middle of Essay
.... the sense that we do what is in our best interest, Hobbes says that at one point in time we decided to voluntarily and mutually transfer our rights to another person or group in an attempt to get out of that miserable state of war. Hobbes also contends that if there is not a power to keep people in awe, they will continually be in war against each other. In other words, there is no security without a system such as our own, with consequences for actions that infringe on the rights of others. The crucial part of this system is thus enforcement of policy. Hobbes explains this as, "And covenants, without the sword, are but words, and of no strength to se ....