Compare and contrast the political philosophies of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes.

What will be an ideal response?

Hobbes argued for absolute monarchy. He believed that the strong would always oppress the weak and that, through a social contract, individuals who relinquished their rights could enjoy the sovereign's protection. Without the social contract, Hobbes believed, anarchy would prevail. In contrast, Locke rejected the notion of divine-right monarchy. Locke believed that individuals possessed certain inalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and property that superseded governmental authority. Locke believed in the concept of social contract in which people agree to accept the government's authority with the understanding that the government would protect their natural rights. If the government failed to do so, however, Locke believed the people had a right to rebel.