Locke, Hobbes, and the Federalist Papers: An Essay on the Genesis of the American Political Heritage

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.