Locke, Hobbes, and the Federalist papers Book

The common theory among political sci­entists is that John Locke, proponent and celebrant of democracy, is the great ancestor of our Constitution and Decla­ration of Independence, but in this new and enlightening investigation into our political roots Dr. Mace argues that our real political sire was a man often hated and scorned as an antidemocratic mon­archist—Thomas Hobbes.

Mace's exposition of political philos­ophy shows that Locke supported de­mocracy but that, in Locke's view, democracy does not automatically sup­port liberty and freedom for all. Hence, Lockean democracy would provide for the protection of life, liberty, and property—not happiness. The monarchist Hobbes, on the other hand, believed a sovereign's duty lay in the protection of life, liberty, and happiness for all. For Hobbes, sovereignty exists only when monarch and subject are mutually obliged; when the sovereign fails to pro­vide security, or when he forces upon his subjects a life that is wearisome, the sub­ject has the right to rebel. Ultimately, his is much closer to the philosophy of Publius—Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, the men whose collected essays were published as The Federalist. Publius goes one step further, however; he proposes a federalist system that will eliminate the need for the sword as final arbiter.