According to Hobbes there is a clash between the state of society and the state of human nature. While our state of human nature is to believe what we want and do as we please, when individuals come together these ways are restricted in two ways: by others’ conflicting views and government’s overbearing power.
Humans come together because of our natural desire for human interaction we not only reap this benefit, but risk the danger of compromising our freedom. As Hobbes believes, it is natural for humans to congregate and decide upon a formation of government, which has controlling power. However, the definition of this power is hazy at best, and often times the extension of this authoritative power is overbearing, and causes the clash between society and human nature. Locke looks a little further at this power, and describes that it is the job of such power to secure and protect one’s societal rights to “Civil Interests” (“Life, Liberty, Health, and Indolency of Body; and the Possession of outward things, such as Money, Lands, Houses, Furniture and the like.”) He then restricts this demand of authoritative power by saying that, “The care of Souls cannot belong to the Civil Magistrate, because his Power consists only in outward force; but true and saving Religion consists in the inward perswasion of the Mind-” In saying this, Locke is demanding the outward protection and security a society has the ability to provide, while asking society to back off when it comes to one’s individual beliefs. This is the responsibility of the society to the individuals: the preservation of human nature.
As society grows larger it becomes a congregation of people with different cultural identities and talents, which contribute to its unique combination of individuals. Cultural identities are the factors of society from which conflict can arise, because of different opinions and beliefs. These identities include: gender, race, history, nationality, language, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, and aesthetics. It is the responsibility of the citizens to society, to respectfully maintain not only their own culture’s identities, but other’s as well.
These two restricting elements of society happen to be in our control as citizens. It is our responsibility as citizens to keep governmental power in check, and within their boundaries as Locke describes. The second responsibility is to respect others’ cultural identities. As humans we not only have the right to maintain our human nature, but the responsibility to maintain society.
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