Final answer:
Hobbes advocated for absolute monarchy and the transfer of individual freedoms for protection and order, while Locke emphasized natural rights and the government's role in protecting these rights, with the possibility of dissolving the government should it fail in its duties.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Hobbes and John Locke held different perspectives on the concept of the social contract. Hobbes favored an absolute monarchy, advocating that people should cede their freedoms to a ruler in exchange for protection and order. According to Hobbes, this was essential to avoid the state of nature, which he viewed as chaotic and violent, where life was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
John Locke, conversely, believed in the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, suggesting that the government's duty was to safeguard these rights. If the government failed to do so, the people had the right to dissolve the contract and establish a new governing body. Locke's theories greatly influenced the development of liberal democratic thought, including the United States Declaration of Independence.