Treatise of Government"? Doesn't he seem like a really thickheaded dull man? I truly wonder how he influenced the Declaration of Independence. First of all he starts "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" by apologizing to the public and how he is too tired and lazy to fight with anyone who is against his book. Ok at first I thought that was a joke (a poor joke at that) so I read on. Then the rest of the book is filled with simplicity and ambiguity that I could not take it anymore. (Now I know why he did not want to fight!). For example, he never goes into great detail to explain as to what he meant by "secondary and primary qualities" so that poor old Berkley had to fiddle around his terms in order to find a right response. I was truly confused so I asked my teacher but he did not know either.
Moving on to Two Treatise of Government: truthfully, I only read the second treatise because that was his political work. The first treatise is a biblical fight with the philosopher Robert Filmer and very few of his political ideas are known to be found there. Anyway, he gives his idea on what the state of nature is and what natural law is. But again all you need to do is read the chapter title and the first paragraph and last paragraph in order to understand his simple petty ideas is.
I know I am being harsh on the dead philosopher and maybe in those times they were not expected to clear themselves up. However, Hobbes's political books are detailed and percise even though I do not agree with him most of the time and he lived roughly about the same time as Locke. Yes Locke was a brilliant physician and a well-educated man but his political work is just a shame. He should have stuck to medicine.
Moving on to Two Treatise of Government: truthfully, I only read the second treatise because that was his political work. The first treatise is a biblical fight with the philosopher Robert Filmer and very few of his political ideas are known to be found there. Anyway, he gives his idea on what the state of nature is and what natural law is. But again all you need to do is read the chapter title and the first paragraph and last paragraph in order to understand his simple petty ideas is.
I know I am being harsh on the dead philosopher and maybe in those times they were not expected to clear themselves up. However, Hobbes's political books are detailed and percise even though I do not agree with him most of the time and he lived roughly about the same time as Locke. Yes Locke was a brilliant physician and a well-educated man but his political work is just a shame. He should have stuck to medicine.