Final answer:
The passage describes Hobbes' grim view of the state of nature as a constant struggle for power, requiring an absolute monarchy for stability. Contrastingly, Locke believed in natural rights in the state of nature, leading to the formation of government through a social contract. The Enlightenment fostered these debates, influencing modern governmental structures and individual rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage describes Thomas Hobbes' view on the state of nature, a hypothetical situation where there is no government, laws, or civilization to restrain human behavior. Hobbes believed that such a condition would lead to a 'war of all against all', where people are in constant conflict, seeking power over others.
This bleak portrayal of human nature suggests that absolute monarchy is necessary to maintain order.
In contrast, John Locke had a different perspective on the state of nature. He asserted that people are free and equal in this state and possess natural rights such as life, liberty, and property.
Locke believed that, to secure these rights, individuals would form a social contract and create a civil society and government. His ideas influenced the development of liberalism and were foundational to modern democracies.
The Enlightenment facilitated a critical examination of the relationship between individuals and the state. Thinkers like Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire challenged the notion of absolutism and divine right, advocating for constitutional governments that protect individual freedoms and property rights.