The Boundaries Of Consent By Thomas Hobbes And John Locke...

According to Britannica.com, consent is defined as, â€Å"an act of permitting something to be done or of recognizing some authority.† This definition is a fact that almost all political theorists can agree on, however, the boundaries surrounding this definition leaves us asking many questions; how did we consent, to whom do we consent to, and when did we consent? Most importantly is the question: did we consent at all? When we go back to the fundamentals of defining how, when, and if we consented, we will derive that we never consented at all. In the following essay, I will define the boundaries of consent, give a summary of the various philosophical arguments given for political obligation, and disseminate these arguments. There are five main theories to political obligation: Consent Theory, Fairness Theory, Community Theory, Morality Theory, and Philosophical anarchism. The most significant argument for political obligation is called consent theory. Consent theorists, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, believe that we should obey the law because we have consented to do so. Although all consent theorists can agree that we have consented to the law, the boundaries of consent are a common disagreement. Therefore, when considering political authority and obligation, we must first develop the boundaries of consent. There are two different types of consent within political theory; expressed consent and tacit consent. One gives expressed consent when we announce – either throughShow MoreRelatedThomas Hobbes, John Locke and Samuel Rutherford1678 Words   |  7 Pagesfor changes in the way their government was set up. John Locke and Samuel Rutherford were the leaders of this change, calling for the removal of an absolute monarch. Their works would be opposed by the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, during this eighteen-year civil war in England. 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