Reference no: EM13290333

Explore the many different political views held by philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Explore the relevance of social political philosophy to contemporary social and political issues.

Hobbes writes the following:
A commonwealth is said to be instituted when a multitude of men do agree, and covenant, every one with every one, that to whatsoever man, or assembly of men, shall be given by the major part the right to present the person of them all, that is to say, to be their representative; every one, as well he that voted for it as he that voted against it, shall authorize all the actions and judgments of that man, or assembly of men, in the same manner as if they were his own, to the end to live peaceably amongst themselves, and be protected against other men.

In contrary, Rousseau writes the following:
The problem is to find a form of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before.

As we see, Hobbes believes it is the primary role of the government to insure safety, whereas Rousseau believes we must safeguard our liberty at all costs. What do you think? Write a paper supporting either Rousseau's or Hobbes' argument. Your paper should be double spaced and a minimum of 4 pages. In what instances might you see that a government might approve of sacrificing liberties in order to insure safety? Why is it important to uphold our liberty at all costs? Has the government of the United States ever sacrificed our liberties to ensure freedom? State your position on the matter and whether you may see any undesirable consequences of this position. Use ideas of the social contract. Bring in real world examples to help support your position. (HINT: Think of the Patriot Act or the Military Commissions Act). Please cite your sources using the MLA format.