Who Influenced them?

Who Influenced them?

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke had strong views as philosophers on topics such as government and society. One factor that affects their perspectives on this is religion. They disagreed on the concept of church and state. Although Hobbes was religiously tolerant he believed that religion could initiate a civil war. He proposed the idea that the church should be a department in the king's government, yet the king would still have absolute power over this department. On the other had Locke's view on this couldn't be more different, he advocated for the separation of church and state. In A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke he says “ I esteem it above all things necessary to distinguish exactly the business of civil government from that of religion, and to settle the just bounds that lie between the one and the other.” He strongly encourages a separation believes that there needs to be space for religious freedom. Their affiliations to their religions changed their philosophies, Hobbes felt the church should be controlled by the king. In his eyes the king had absolute power over everything, even power over religion. Yet Locke felt that religion and government should stay separate so people could freely practice their own faith, therefore combing church and state would contradict the religious freedom. It's obvious that each philosophers religion affected their views on government and society in numerous ways.