Final answer:
Hobbes claimed that in the State of Nature, people are equal, leading to fear and conflict, requiring the creation of a powerful sovereign for protection. Locke contested this view by describing a peaceful State of Nature based on reason and natural rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Thomas Hobbes, in the State of Nature, people are equal because everyone has the same basic capacity to harm or be harmed by others. This equality breeds fear, which leads to conflict and a life described as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." To escape this violent state, individuals enter into a social contract, surrendering certain liberties in exchange for protection provided by an absolute sovereign, or "Leviathan." Thus, for Hobbes, the State of Nature is marked by equality but also by fear and constant competition. Conversely, John Locke held a different view, positing that the State of Nature is characterized by freedom, equality, and reason, with people naturally endowed with rights to life, liberty, and property. Locke's perspective points towards a more optimistic view of human nature compared to Hobbes's grim outlook.