Political Theory responses to Locke, Montesqieu, Marx and Rousseau

Realism or Idealism: Responses to Locke, Montesqieu, Rousseau and Marx regarding human nature In the history of the western intellectual tradition, a simple (though not simplistic) way of seeing philosophers of social thought is to place them in one of two categories: realism or idealism. Depending on what category they best fit in, one can draw conclusions about their respective theories of human nature, which in turn influences their whole philosophical project’s ends. The …showed first 75 words of 1714 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1714 total…need for god but requires justice to stave off mankind’s natural selfishness, which is realistic in viewpoint. I appreciated the foundation that reading these four philosophers gave me in thinking about politics and social problems in the West. By looking at them through the lense of human nature questions, I was able to frame them in a way that helped me compare and contrast them in order to see whom I resonated most with.