First of all Socrates was imprisoned for a crime which he did commit. Crito, Socrates' friend tried to persuade him to escape, just like any good friend would. However, Socrates was having none of it and was adamant that he should remain in prison since he committed the crime and therefore there is a contract or a covenant between himself as a citizen and the state. He believed that because he chose to stay in the city he must abide by the law of the city and if the law is broken he must remain in prison keeping to his covenant with the city. Socrates believed that by breaking the law he also was attempting to destroy the city which is a punishable offence.
Socrates' ideas then caused Philosophers such as Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and Machiavelli to preach about their own ideas about the issue of the 'State'.
Hobbes
Hobbes believed that there must be an all powerful leader in charge of a State to keep order within the State. He constructed the idea of a 'Leviathan' who was a Biblical monster of unstoppable power. Hobbes used this idea of a Leviathan in order to expresses his idea that order can only be restored on the current state of constant war: ''Every man against every man'' is to have a powerful leader like Leviathan. Hobbes then expanded this idea by introducing a contract or covenant which states that all citizens must give up their power to him so that he can become all powerful. However, it was also stated that if the leader failed to protect his State then he must be replaced.
Locke's treatise of government
The first treatise of Locke's attacks the concept of the ''Divine Right of the Kings'' with the idea that God had given Adam the right to rule: ''Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air...'' (Genesis) Locke unlike Hobbes believed that everyone enjoys the State of Nature such as natural freedom and equality but people must also obey Natural Laws and Moral Laws that everyone knows intuitively: ''Interwoven in the constitution of the human mind.'' Locke said that there must be laws in order to prevent mayhem in the State but none of these laws should be too personal, therefore he proposed a concept of government by consent. He insisted that taxes couldn't be levied without the people's (parliament) consent. Citizens could rebel if their government ceased to respect the law. This means that Locke suggested that the right of revolution was one of the natural rights of man. Locke dominated the Political Philosophy of the American Revolution. However, Locke agreed with Hobbes that if your political leaders don't obey the law then it is your right to replace them.
Rousseau
Rousseau stated that there is a conflict between obedience to the state and your freedom. Our freedom is to be guided by our own free will and he demanded Civil Freedom. He believed that if everyone is involved in making the law then the citizens will only be following their own will; which consequently is the general will. By following the law you become free by following yourself since it is the people's right to be part of the Legislature.
Machiavelli
Machiavelli started the beginning of Political Science who wrote the book: ''The Prince'' written for Medici Rulers of Florence which included the key theme: ''Man is the measure of all things.'' This lead Machiavelli to give advice to future rulers:
- Always support the weaker side in conflict as this then means that the more powerful side is destroyed.
- Centralised regimes are difficult to conquer but easy to hold.
- ''Armed prophets succeed, unarmed ones always fail.''
- Importance is that all of this is observed evidence empirical evidence.
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