Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were some of the earliest political thinkers during the Enlightenment era. “The Enlightenment is identified above all with its political conquests.” (Stanford) All three of these men are known today as “social contract” thinkers. They each describe their vision of the “state of nature” and discuss how a proper government should be created and run. Although they have their individual ideas, their philosophies suggest similarities. The state of nature can be interpreted in many different ways, however, to verify its practicality, it is necessary to justify and explain its values. Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau all interpreted the state of nature individually, which made them some of the most famous political exponents. thinkers of history. “Yet, for all the lasting achievements of Enlightenment political philosophy, it is unclear whether human reason proves powerful enough to place an authoritative, concrete, and positive ideal in place of the ideals denied by rational criticism.” (Stanford)Thomas Hobbes had the most negative view of human nature. He felt that all people were bad; however he also felt that politics should be separated from God. Being an Enlightenment thinker, he believed in using reason and science to gain knowledge, although he was also concerned with morality. “Hobbes thinks that the state of nature is something we should avoid, at all costs except for our own self-preservation.” (IEP citation required*) Hobbes's thesis in this period stated "that the problems of political life mean that a society should accept an unaccountable sovereign as the sole political authority." (*IEP citation required) His view of human nature was very bleak, and he believed that faith should not be the...... middle of paper......quere. All three believed in the separation of Church and State and agreed on two of the three fundamental rights, Life and Liberty. Each of them had an opposing point of view on the issue of pursuing property, but they all had an influence on modern democracy. If it were not for these Enlightenment thinkers of the social contract, it could be argued that political systems in the world today would be of various types. structures. What if Thomas Jefferson hadn't been inspired by John Locke when he was crafting the Declaration of Independence? Fundamental rights in America would certainly be limited. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau may have disagreed on issues regarding protest to the king and the specific definition of the state of nature in which people lived, yet global politics would not be what it is today, and democracy may not have been as successful.