Locke: In Rousseau's Eye

The state of nature, as described by Locke, is a state of perfect freedom, a state in which man is completely free, but would Rousseau agree with this? The answer to this question is more complex than it seems. Locke and Rousseau, both great philosophers of their time, have similar ideas, but the similarities between them end at that. They have very different views on just about every philosophical topic and retain these differences. When …

…a form of the state of nature and within that state, reason will be preserved and conformity will only enhance it. This conformity was the way in which men would be integrated into the social contract, and this integration would be best fueled if parents were to instill into their children the importance of work at an early age. He believed that children were abstract learners and that this routes was the best. Rousseau disagreed.