Thomas Hobbes And John Locke's Constitutional System

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe was going through very hard times. Some of the European nation was developing an absolutist system which is “a system of government in which the ruler claims sole and uncontestable power.” (Hunt 483) and some of the European nation was developing a constitutional system which is “a system in which the ruler shares power with an assembly of elected representatives.” (Hunt 484) Absolutism and constitutionalism faced huge competition with each other because “constitutionalism led to weakness in Poland-Lithuania but provided strong foundations for state power in England, the Dutch Republic, and the British North American colonies.” (Hunt 484) These English colonies found their most lasting appearance in the writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Many people in Europe preferred absolutist systems and many people also preferred the constitutional systems. Thomas Hobbes justified absolute authority and Locke provided the basis for constitutionalism. The both of them argued that all
According to Locke, people formed governments to protect their rights which he called a "social contract." People agreed to obey the government and in return, government had the responsibility to protect peoples natural rights. “Locke’s views promoted the belief that “all men are created equal,” a belief that challenged absolutist.” (Hunt 505) The countries that gained a constitutional system was England, The Dutch Republic and The New World. The Dutch Republic gained independence from Spain in 1648 and it had already established a constitutional state. The Dutch and the English put aside their differences that originally put them to war. The Dutch and the English had a lot in common towards commerce and overseas empires and coming together good things started shaping the Atlantic