Hobbes and Locke POV practice

Assume the following documents could be used as evidence in a DBQ that asks the following question: Discuss and analyze the various views on the system of Absolutism as a form of government in the 17th Century.

Source: Excerpt from Thomas Hobbes: The Leviathan, published 1651

“During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in the conditions called war; and such a war, as of every man, against every man.” Write a POV statement: Why might Hobbes say this given what he believes and what he has experienced?

Think about….. 1. How might the author’s fundamental beliefs about human nature impact his POV on the system of Absolutism? 2. How might the author’s personal observation of historical events impact his POV on the system of Absolutism? 3. How might the author’s place or role in the Enlightenment impact his POV on the system of Absolutism?

What about this one? “People in this state do not have to ask permission to act or depend on the will of others to arrange matters on their behalf. The natural state is also one of equality in which all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal and no one has more than another.” Discuss what an authorial POV statement might look like for this document by John Locke.