Locke argues that although all people are equal in what he calls a вЂstate of natureвЂ™, they must surrender some вЂnaturalвЂ™ freedoms upon entering society in order to be protected by common laws. He defines political power morally arguing that the state can and must make and enforce laws for the good of the public. Locke wrote his Second Treatise of Government as a direct response to the political situation in England at the time. John Locke, Second Treatise of Government (1689)

He does not dispute the kingвЂ™s absolute power, but rather suggests it is approved by the people.Д¤. Arguing against the divine right of kings, a long established belief that monarchs are selected by God, Hobbes instead proposes that royals hold power only because their subjects allow them to. He suggests that a вЂsocial contractвЂ™ between the people and their sovereign would remove the risk of total domination. Hobbes argues that the natural state in which humans live is anarchy, where the weakest are dominated by the strongest. His Leviathan was written against a backdrop of English civil war, with parliament aiming to dethrone Charles I and establish a republic. Hobbes was an English philosopher and royalist. Highly unpopular with the Catholic Church, the book was dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, the Florentine ruler, with the aim of helping him hold onto power. He controversially argues that murder and betrayal are acceptable if they lead to the attainment and retention of power. Machiavelli aimed to reveal human nature and power structures for what they really are, by looking at the real results of menвЂ™s past actions. The Prince marks an important break from previous trends in Western political thought, as it is based on real past experiences, rather than abstract ethical and political principles. Machiavelli was an Italian politician living in Florence. He addresses ethical and political concerns by trying to answer the question: вЂwhy do men behave justly?вЂ™ He believed that, in order to be вЂjustвЂ™, men must also be вЂgoodвЂ™.Дў. The Republic discusses the meaning and nature of justice, arguing that a вЂjustвЂ™ society depends on having a good relationship between three different groups: вЂproducersвЂ™ (craftsmen, farmers), вЂauxiliariesвЂ™ (soldiers) and вЂguardiansвЂ™ (rulers, politicians). Plato was an Athenian philosopher, and one of the first Western thinkers to marry philosophy and politics.

Famous international relations books