Different Definitions Of Leadership, Skills, And...

Knowing one’s level of competencies in every area helps in determining whether to keep it up or improve on the said skills. With different definitions of leadership, different people also view my leadership skills differently. This is simply because I possess certain traits, skills and behavioral styles that set me apart from everyone else. Having completed the three surveys which includes; Five-Factor Trait Model, Skills inventory and Situational leadership surveys, a friend completed the Behavioral Style Questionnaire. Five- Factor Trait Model After I completed the short form on the website provided, a report was sent shown to me.). The report estimated an individual’s level on each and every one of the five broad personality domains/models. The models are as follows: (a) Neuroticism (b) Extraversion (c) Openness (d) Agreeableness (e) Conscientiousness. The Models are also further divided into six (6) facets each. This helped in explaining the criteria used in arriving at the results of the report. The explanations of the scores from the report are written below. For extraversion, my score was high, which indicated me as a sociable, outgoing, energetic and lively person. It also described me as preferring to be around people most of the time. My level of agreeableness is on the average. The report that I have indicated me as being unwilling to sacrifice myself for others. My score on conscientiousness is high, and according to the report, this means I set a clear goalShow MoreRelatedLeading Function of Management15642 Words   |  63 Pagesof operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given purposes. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status. 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Importance Of Leonardo s Notebooks By Samuel Rose

Leonardo’s Notebooks By: Samuel Rose The Importance of Leonardo s notebook His insights in science might give now a day doctors and studiers of the human body a strong base to create their own knowledge. Some of the drawings include a fetus in the womb, circulation of blood in the body and a dissection of a man. Other drawings of nature were a bird in flight and the Vitruvian man which both described anatomy and the way mechanics work in nature. Continued†¦ Also, Leonardo made leaps and bounds in the area of mechanics shown in his version of a tank, submarine, and airplane, these models are all constructed perfectly. Leonardo’s Life Da Vinci lived from 1452-1519, his notebooks spanning most of his later life. As an artist, engineer and natural philosopher Da Vinci wrote in his notebooks daily, finishing with around 13000 pages of work! (Mansen) An apprentice of Andrea del Verrocchio, Da Vinci grew into an extremely skilled artist, and created multiple sculptures and paintings. He also developed an understanding of anatomy through human dissections. Continued†¦ Leonardo’s Notebook was created in the latter part of his life and consisted of many amazing ideas and discoveries. â€Å"The great understanding of Da Vinci is astounding and the subject of the pages of the notebook reflected not only lists and compositions of paintings, but studies on faces, emotions, animals, babies, dissections, plant studies, rock formations, machines, and architecture( Mansen)†. Leonardo diedShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore

Financial Accounting Corporate Social Responsibility

Question: Discuss about the case study Financial Accounting for Corporate Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction: Financial statements are made to provide efficiency to users in making economic decisions in business. The objectives of financial statements are to provide details about the financial performance, financial position, cash flow statements, and changes in financial position of a business or enterprise, profitability and growth prospects etc. This information is used by a variety of users like stakeholders, investors, managers, employees, government etc in making economic decisions for enhancing the effectiveness of the management. Financial statements help in assessing the operational efficiency of the companys management. This information can be provided by the profit and loss account or an income statement of an enterprise. The actual financial performance can be obtained through the financial statements and can also be compared with standards set earlier to ascertain the managements efficiency (Brealey et.al, 2011). Information about the financial position can be obtained by the Balance Sheet that aims in depicting the current position of an enterprise in terms of types of assets owned and various liabilities due. Hence, the financial position where the business stands on a particular date can be ascertained by financial statements. Moreover, it assists in providing information about how the cash moves in and out of the business and allocation of cash throughout the business (Horngren, 2013). When it comes to prediction of growth prospects and profitability financial statements aim to predict the growth prospects in earnings that can further be used by investors while comparing investment alternatives. This prediction can be done by the preparation and forecasting of budgets (Brealey et.al, 2011). Financial statements also aim to provide details about the changes in financial position of a business during a period through a separate statement. Financial statements accommodate several supplementary schedules and notes like the uncertainties and risks affecting the business, resources that cannot be identified through Balance Sheet etc. All these additional information can be obtained through financial statements and can prove to be very beneficial in decision-making (Kruger, 2015). When it comes to comparative analysis and adoption of appropriate policy financial statements of one enterprise can be compared with other enterprises to determine which enterprise is functionin g more effectively. This can be done by making a comparative study of the profitability of both enterprises and with the help of this intra firm comparison, financial statements aims to help the management in adopting a sound business policy (Brealey et.al, 2011). Other objectives of financial statements include the evaluation of efficiency of various department or parts of business, evaluation of the long-term liquidity of the business fund, evaluation of outcomes of stewardship of management or managements accountability for resources that are entrusted to it and evaluation of the exact meaning and outcome of financial information (Choi Meek, 2011). Prospective investors need these financial statements because it helps them in assessing the viability of investing funds in a company or business. They may also need financial statements in predicting future dividends on the basis of profits that are disclosed in them. Furthermore, there are various risks and uncertainties associated with an investment and investors can gauge those risks and uncertainties with the help of financial statements (Kruger, 2015). For example, it is a well-known fact that fluctuating profits point out higher uncertainties and risk. Hence, financial statements can be used as a basis for the investment decisions of these prospective investors. Investors and shareholders are generally the first group of external users of financial statements whose main motive is to assess the value of a business so as to decide whether it is worth selling or buying or holding their stock (Nzuve, 2011). In UK, there exists a functioning of Director of fair trading who is responsible to oversee the behavior of companies. Investigation can be initiated against those companies who have deviated from their goals and objectives. The maximum amount of market shares that a company in UK can hold is not more than 25% of the total market. If these limits get surpassed, then the Director of fair trading takes necessary steps to bring the limit to a normal range by informing the Competition Commission of UK. The Competition Commission is bound to initiate an investigation on those companies who have not followed the prescribed norms or against whom Director of fair trading has made comments (Ballot et.al, 2006). Furthermore, firms of UK are prohibited to collude because in this way competition can be restricted by setting the prices. As there are several companies operating all around UK and worldwide, other organizations have to be made that can keep a check on the strategies of these compani es. The regulatory system of UK made three (tripartite) authorities The financial Services Authority (FSA), Bank of England and Treasury. These were collectively bound to maintain the financial stability of UK but these failed because of the accommodation of several weak spots and hence these were reformed. A new Financial Policy Committee was formed in the Bank of England with a sole motive of maintaining financial stability. This was a necessary reform by the government of UK because macro-prudential action was required to be globally coordinated (Mulbert, 2010). Thus, FPC worked globally with authorities like European Systematic Risk Board etc to co-ordinate macro-prudential action. For macro-prudential regulation of firms, government transferred operational responsibility from FSA to a newly formed subsidiary of Bank of England that is PRA (Prudential Regulation Authority). PRA is responsible for the supervision and regulation of individual firms and it represents UK on the new supervisory authorities of Europe for insurance and banking so that UKs voice can be promoted. For regulation of markets and protection of consumers, the UK government created CPMA (Consumer Protection and Markets Authority) which was entrusted with a responsibility of promoting confidence in the financial markets and services. By this regulation system, two objectives can be satisfied that is protection of consumers by a powerful consumer division and promotion of confidence in the financial markets of UK for better efficiency and integrity (Ballou et. al, 2006). The introduction of these regimes has been very effective taking into consideration the potential for intense implications for the financial institutions of UK. Gaps in regulatory details have been closed by this regulatory system of UK that has also enhanced expectations from political areas (Bence Nadine, 2012). There are several areas that are policed by other bodies of UK like the Environmental Agency, CQC, Informati on Commissioners Office and Scottish Environment Protection Agency etc. Compliance issues for every small and large organization consist of Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the public sector. The corporate governance code of UK issued by FRC (Financial Reporting Council) sets out standards associated with remuneration, board effectiveness and leadership, relationships with shareholders etc. Companies of UK that possess a premium listing of equity shares are bound to report under the Listing Rules on the process they have adopted in their annual reports or accounts. Global financial reporting requirements are that effective structures which involves third parties to have an access to the environmental impact of an entity. These guidelines face a lot of speculation but still it is followed by several countries like United Kingdom etc because with the assistance of this reporting, several ethical features of a company can be informed to the public, investors etc. With the help of GRI guidelines, an organization can achieve better business operations that will in turn contribute towards its growth (Mark, 2010). Adoption of GRI have also assisted in decentralization and gaining target audience that proves that it is a successful attribute for the future. Inspite of several effectiveness, GRI or global financial reporting requirements has a lack of integrity in its aggregate structure but there exists various options that can be obtained through sustainability reports (Ballot et.al, 2006). For the purpose of this assignment, the two companies of UK t hat are selected are BP Plc and Volkswagen UK. BP Plc adopts international reporting guidelines from IPIECA and GRI so that it can report its sustainability performance and remains a signatory to UNs Global Impact. BP adopts Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 guidelines in its reporting together with a comprehensive pair of indicators that covers the entire dimensions of sustainable development. GRI helps in providing a framework against which every organization can report and track their environmental, social and economic performance. With this standardized method, greater accountability and transparency can be achieved together with benchmarking against the previous years performance. These guidelines also assist in recognition of stakeholders and the dominance of such reporting in various areas. With the help of global financial reporting requirements, BP Plc has managed to obtain an A plus in its reporting and it can be proved from the fact that every disclosure that are important are being disclosed and reasons are provided for the ones which are unimportant and not disclosed (BP Plc, 2014). For example, in the year 2015, when BP faced a huge quarterly loss of around 403 billion dollars, share price was decreased but the voluntary disclosure regarding the negative outcomes of BPs activity and greenhouse gas emission with a further disclosure of solutions to reduce the outcomes and comparative analysis of prior years with minimizing tendency, will surely pay off. Due to this voluntary disclosure, stock of BP improved from 417.55 GBP to 451 GBP. Even according to the legitimacy theory, disclosure regarding the oil spill surely made people realizes the outcome of any negligence towards any safety standards on environment (BP Plc, 2014). The impact of this global financial reporting requirement is that BP has become more efficient in collecting the data method and presenting the data in a more enhanced way so that the principles of UN Global Compact can be achi eved. Furthermore, this guidance assures that BP Plc identifies every issue that is significant to oil and gas companies and replies to industry problems through this reporting (Albuquerque et. al, 2013). Hence, on a whole, global financial reporting requirements prove to be very effective in case of BP Plc as the company effectively reports its material issues and by observing the value provided by various reporting elements, companies can tailor their reporting to their own situations. When it comes to Volkswagen (UK), Global reporting financial requirements are much better placed here than in BP Plc. It follows the G4 reporting index and fulfills various requirements that are essential in achieving the stage of completion and perfection. Thus, the functioning of Volkswagen is in such a manner so that it can socially meet every requirements and needs for the benefit of the society and the environment (Volkswagen, 2014). The Board of Managing Directors of Volkswagen is liable for a ccurately preparing the sustainability report based on the criterias set in the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines of the (GRI) Global Reporting Initiative. This includes the application and selection of proper procedures to prepare the Sustainability Report and the adoption of estimates and assumptions for sustainability disclosures of an individual that are very reasonable in the circumstances. The reason for preparing the Sustainable reports by the company is pretty obvious and that is the active participation of businesses that in turn provides support to the companies, business and the society (Fernando, 2009). These reforms are expected to bridge the gap between government and businesses so that the level of transparency can be increased (Sustainability reporting, 2012). There are several companies which are reporting GRI indicators at the end of their annual report and Volkswagen being one of them, communicates which GRI information have been disclosed and the reasons for no t communicating specific disclosures. A statement of the GRI Application Level Check is present in the sustainability report of Volkswagen Group which states that all the material disclosures have been communicated and it can be proved by the fact that Volkswagen received an A plus in its application in the Sustainability Report (Bertel, 2013). An example of voluntary disclosure of Volkswagen is that under International Financial Reporting Standards, the disclosure of expenses related to R D is not specified but big companies like Volkswagen are revealing more than specified details voluntarily so as to ensure maximum transparency among the investors, public etc. Volkswagen presents a breakdown of the R D expenses which is identified in its income statement portraying the amortization of development expenses separately from non-capitalized development expenses and research (Bertel, 2013). Even according to the legitimacy theory, Volkswagen discloses the emission tests where the le vel of nitrous oxide gets enhanced when vehicles run on the road. Although these emissions are unauthorized, Volkswagen takes steps to inform the public about this so that trust in the company cannot be lost. It can be concluded from the above details that financial statements play a very major role in enhancing the trust and goodwill of the organization. Therefore, the financial statements must adhere to the regulation to have a strong level of transparency. This helps in better presentation and enhances the level of goodwill. Moreover, it leads to compliance that projects a better scenario for the company. The regulatory system of UK have proven to be very effective for the public as it mainly aims in promoting the UK financial markets that will in turn provide benefit to several others (Nzuve, 2011). The scope of global reporting have further accelerated the system a provided a major opportunities to the firms. Especially the GRI guidelines have been the prime highlight in portraying the scope of companies. Even though these guidelines faces a lack of integrity, it is still followed everywhere in the world by most of the companies. In businesses, the most precise information can be pro vided by the Sustainability reports of a company that can collectively serve as rightful actions for future with the Global Financial Reporting Requirements. There are several experts who consider that Global Financial Reporting Requirements and sustainability reports were important in the past and not in the present but it must be noted that markets are diminishing internationally and taking into consideration the future prospects if such reporting systems are not aligned with the market conditions, then severe difficulties can arise (Goergen, 2012). It can also be observed from this study that companies like Volkswagen do not hesitate in disclosing the unspecified information in their reports and the reason is that these companies want to maximize their transparency with the investors, public etc so that during uncertain circumstances, it does not suffer more (Volkswagen, 2014). From their annual report, we can get a clear picture of the level of disclosure and their functioning. For instance in the case of BP Plc, whose stock improved after voluntary disclosing the negative activities and outcomes of the company. The difference between the regulatory system of UK and the impact of global financial reporting requirements is critically evaluated taking into account these two companies. Moreover, it has been ascertained that the level of disclosures provides a strong balance to the company because the stakeholders are always in search of information. Concealing of information leads to unfair practice and is contradictory to the et hical practice (Lubatkin, 2009). Hence, viewing this it can be commented that companies must adhere to the global reporting and should disclose the matter on a voluntary basis that leads to better practice and raising the level of standard. References Albuquerque, R., Durnev, A., Koskinen, Y 2013, Corporate social responsibility and firm risk: theory and empirical evidence, Boston University. Ballot, B., Heitger, D. L. Landes, C. E. 2006, The future of corporate sustainability reporting: A rapidly growing assurance opportunity, Journal of Accountancy, vol. 20, pp. 65-74 Ballou, B., Heitger, D. L. Landes, C. E. 2006, The future of corporate sustainability reporting: A rapidly growing assurance opportunity, Journal of Accountancy, vol. 20, pp. 65-74 Bence, D Nadine, F 2012, The International Accounting Standards Boards Search for a General Purpose Accounting Model, viewed 4 July 2016, https://business.curtin.edu.au/files/bence-fry.pdf. Bertel, S, 2013, Volkswagen Can Be Worlds Largest Automaker In 2013 As Unlikely As It May Be. GM In Danger Of Dropping To Third., viewed 4 July 2016, https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/. BP Plc 2014, BP Plc: Annual report and accounts 2014, viewed 3 July 2016, https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bpcountry/de_de/PDFs/brochures/BP_Annual_Report_and_Form_20F_2014.pdf Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Allen, F 2011, Principles of corporate finance, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Choi, R.D. Meek, G.K 2011, International accounting, Pearson. Fernando, A C 2009, Corporate Governance Policies and Principles, Oxford University Press Goergen , M 2012, International Corporate Governance, Prentice Hall. Horngren, C 2013, Financial accounting, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Australia Group. Kruger, P 2015, Corporate goodness and shareholder wealth, Journal of Financial economics, pp. 304-329 Lubatkin, M.H 2009, One more time: What is a realistic theory of corporate governance?, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, vol.28, pp. 59-67 Mark, J.R 2010, Political Determinants of Corporate Governance - Political Context, Corporate Impact, Oxford University Press. Mulbert P.O 2010, Corporate Governance of Banks after the Financial Crisis Theory, Evidence and Reforms, European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), pp. 1-40 Nzuve. S, 2011, Some Thoughts of How to Allocate Indirect Costs in a Corporate Environment, School of Business, University of Nairobi. Sustainability reporting 2012, Using sustainability to drive business innovation and growth 2012, viewed 4 July 2016, https://www.deloitte.com/view/en_IN/in/index.htm. Volkswagen 2014, Volkswagen: Annual report and accounts 2014, viewed 4 July 2016, https://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/en/misc/pdf dummies.bin.html/downloadfilelist/downloadfile/downloadfile_30/file/Y_2014_e.pdf.

Compare and Contrast the Views of the State of Nature Held by Hobbes and Locke free essay sample

As the likes of Hobbes, Rousseau and Locke wrote about it, it means man when he was natural in his state of nature, uninfluenced by society, and the temptations of today. There are no rights in a state of nature, only freedom to do as one wishes. It is a term used to illustrate the theoretical condition of civilization before the states foundation in Social Contract Theories. In the dictionary it is described as â€Å"a wild primitive state untouched by civilization. Both Hobbes and Locke discuss the state of nature with the positives and negatives in mind. Thomas Hobbs wonders what life would be like without a government to keep ruling over all of us, and John Locke believed the government should be working for the citizens and protecting them. Throughout my essay I am going to be comparing and contrasting their differences and similarities. I begin my essay by first taking a look at John Locke and his opinions and beliefs. I begin my essay by first taking a look at John Locke and his opinions and beliefs. John Locke lived from 1632 till 1704; during his life he founded the School of Empiricism. He studied at the Westminster School in London; he gained a Bachelor of Medicine in 1674 after having studied at Oxford. He had never married, nor had he children; he died in 1704 after a long demur in his health. Locke published his Second Treatise of Government in 1689 anonymously as it an extremely strong minded piece of Political Philosophy. It outlines a theory based on contract theory and natural rights. In The Second Treatise of Government Locke asks, What State all men are in? What is a State of Nature? From everything I have read, in my opinion, I believe Locke’s idea of state of nature to be a state of paradise, it sounds quite idyllic, no currency worries, no prejudice, no one man is better than the other. What State are all Men in? First of all Locke believed all men were born as equals, with a good and independent nature. It was in 1960 that Locke wrote his Two Treatises of Government, and within this he attacked the theory of Divine right of Kings and the nature of the State, as conceived by Hobbes. I read in detail his Second Treatise of Government and found it an extremely interesting read. Locke has a different view on the State of Nature in contrast to Hobbs; he supposed human nature was characterized by tolerance and reason. Locke believed human nature was what possessed men to act selfish, this is seen with the introduction of currency. Without currency and in a natural state, everyone was equal, â€Å"should also be equal amount another without subordination or subjection † (Second Treatise of Government, Page 8). No one had more or less than the other. Therefore everyone was independent, and reliant on only their selves. Locke wrote: â€Å"For all men it’s a state of perfect freedom to order their actions/as they think fit, within the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending on the will of any other man† Man had the right to do as his wished and that in true nature we are all reasonable beings, and therefore we should use our rationality to live together, not needing a social contract to bind us all, but using reason and instinct to guide us to living peacefully together. What State are all men naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom, to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons. † (Second Treatise of Government, Page 8. ) Locke claimed that a Political Society only came about because people gave up their natural power to protect their property, and gave into the hands of the community. Locke believed it to be the community that punished offences and handled dispute s, for he feared a State of Nature didn’t have everyone’s rights protected, and therefore a Government was needed to protect their three absolute rights. These being Life, Liberty and Property. In summarise, Locke believed a State of Nature was a placed where man makes his own natural laws, no one man has power over the other, this does not, though, give man right to abuse his fellow, and thus leads to there being Natural Law within this State of Nature. He says all men are in a State of Nature until they make a special agreement which in turn makes them a component of a political society. â€Å"But I moreover affirm that all men are naturally in that state, and remain so, till by their own consents they make themselves members of some politic society, and I doubt not in the sequel of this discourse, to make it very clear. (Second Treatise of Government, Page 13/14). Hobbs views A State of Nature in a different way, he views it as a State of War, in which everyman has to fight for himself, meaning that selfishness and self preservation would chair over morality and dignity. â€Å" the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by co nfederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself. † (Leviathan). To Hobbs life without a Government would lead to this State of Nature or this State of War as he preferred. In order for man to live beside one another they would need to agree to a Social Contract. His book ‘Leviathan’ was written during the English Civil War and tells us of his doctrine for the groundwork of legitimate governments and societies. Hobbs was born April 1588 and went on the graduate from Oxford, as did Locke. From 1637 he considered himself a philosopher. Hobbs questions what life would be like without a Government, everyone having a right, in Hobbs view would lead to there being a break out of conflict, each man fighting against his fellow. He believes our lives would be solitary, and so to escape this solitary life man must agree to a Social Contract. In Hobbs’s view, we, as a society, are a population underneath a key authority to which all individuals must surrender their natural rights for their own protection. One downfall I see is that any abuse of this power by whoever holds this authority is to be accepted as the price of piece. Which seems somewhat contradictory to me, for surly if the person who held this authority was to abuse this power he posses there were surly be an outcry of war and conflict between him and those that are lower than him. Whereas in A State of Nature, everyone is equal and is to do as they please. Both a State of Nature and having a main authority figure have their consequences and sacrifices. Hobbs main idea was that the Government has been given this colossal responsibility to keep peace at whichever cost, for it was our right, as humans, to life. Oppression and tyranny was tolerable to Hobbs, so long as people’s lives were guarded. With Hobbs, as soon as a Civil Government is formed, this State of Nature, of equality is executed and no longer exists amid individuals, because of the civil power which is around to put into effect contracts. But, between nations, there is no power like this which exists and this leads to war, the nations right to protect and preserve their selves, just as man in a State of Nature possessed. Where Locke differs is that he believes a State of Nature was already a State of War, and in order to defer this from happening a main authority figure was needed to keep the peace and overrule all that was happening. Locke has a somewhat more positive view on a State of Nature; he has faith in man and the individual, believing that naturally we are good natured. The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. † (Second Treatise of Government, Page 9). He believes we can all live peacefully together because that is naturally how we want to be. He has a lot of faith in reason, and feels that’s what governs us as men, is our ability to reason, and therefore he thinks we will not harm another, or touch another’s possessions because our reason and natural state tells us otherwise. Hobbs had a darker view, believe that man would act in a more selfish way and would go to many lengths to gain what he wanted. â€Å" and therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies, and in the way to their End (which is principally their own conservation, and sometimes their delectation only) endeavour to destroy or subdue another. † (Leviathan). Jealousy, war, the need to have become over powering , man would go as far as to kill to get what he wants in a State of Nature, for there is no overall power to give law as to what is right and wrong. He believed to stop this there would have to be a Government that kept the peace. He believed we would continually be in competition for natural needs like shelter, food etc, and a Government could control the taking of these things. To me this doesn’t sound like a society that anyone would be content in, and Hobbs wrote â€Å"men have no pleasure (but on the contrary a great deal of grief) in keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all. † (Leviathan). Locke doesn’t feel we need a Government ruling over us because we should have a contracted relationship between ourselves, man, and chosen government authorities. To bring this topic into our current time I shall make an example explaining Locke’s idea. If, for example, Gordon Brown was the suddenly declare that all those of a certain faith were evil and not to be trusted, and ordered for their arrest right away, without any proof they had done wrong or broken the law, then Locke believed people would replace and overthrow Gordon Brown with another Authority figure that would not violate the Social Contract that was agreed n between man and the Government individuals. As I had said before, Hobbs believed man one right was to life, and it was therefore the Governments responsibility to keep the peace and protect us. He felt killing someone in a State of Nature was the same as letting someone live, because to Hobbs in a State of Nature anything is allowed. With no Governm ent setting laws and telling people how to act man can do as he wishes. â€Å"Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. (Leviathan). But this is where we see Locke having more faith in man, he believed the people within this State of Nature would have their limits on what they believed was right or wrong, what they could or could not do. One example of this is that people within the State of Nature would be allowed to live by whatever life rules they believed in, so long as they did not inflict harm on other people. But I believe this is not how people would live, without one all ruling leader there will always be conflict. Look at our society today, there are many different Governments, with different laws, living by different religions and beliefs, and there is still harm being inflicted upon one another. With one over bearing ruler, one main figure of authority surly all rules and laws would be the same, and therefore we would all have to live as an equal society? In Hobbs view, today we would need one main figure to keep the peace and control what happened, society having to make certain sacrifices. To Locke, I believe he would be shocked at mans, what now seems, instinctive emotion to hurt one another, to protect their selves no matter what. Looking at 9/11, it blows Locke’s theory out of the water, that man may believe in any religion they wish so long as they do not inflict harm on another human, and it somewhat highlights Hobbs theory, that without one authority figure, it is our natural instinct to protect ourselves, this shown with America invading Iraq. A lot of people say that Locke’s State of nature is much nicer than Hobbs, and yes, Hobbs’s idea of a State of Nature isn’t what we would like it to be, but I see Locke’s idea of a State of Nature as a kind of idyllic dream. That isn’t how man is; Hobbs is a lot more realistic in the sense of Society today. Obliviously it is a lot more complicated than just inserting a main Authority figure, but it doesn’t appear the Government and Societies are working to keep peace very well today. I favour very much Hobbs idea of a State of Nature, which he believes to be more a State of War. â€Å"Hereby is it manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war. † (Leviathan). Life would be a constant battle to protect oneself and one’s possessions. With no laws, no one to dictate what is right or wrong, whether we believe it morally to be true or not, there are men who will do what it takes to gain what they want. Self preservation would out rule morals and it would almost certainly be a ‘dog eat dog’ world. However, I would very much like to live in a world, a state, which Locke describes and believes in, but from the way society is today, personal experiences, it’s not hard to see that mans natural ability to not harm another is shadowed somewhat by his desire to take care of his own interests. Thomas Hobbs and John Locke are two of the most significant influences of modern Government. One has complete confidence in man, the other does not. One believes we need one figure that holds all responsibility to keep man at peace with another, one believes a social contract between man and an elected figure is needed to keep peace. Either way you can’t really argue that these two men have had a massive influence on society, it was even said that Locke’s Second Treatise of Government to a great extent influenced the American Declaration of Independence. Though both have a lot of difference in how they view a State of Nature, I also see similarities, the main one being, although different types, they both feel some kind of Government is needed within a State of Nature so there can be boundaries. A world without any kind of Government to set laws and inflict justice would be a world with constant riot, war, and over run with selfishness and man’s one need to keep him alive. To Hobbs, one authority figure would keep the people from a State of Nature and a State of War, but Locke felt this figure was already within this State of Nature, and because of his absolute authority, had put himself in a State of War with the individuals of this civilization. Also, they both believe in mans one right to preserve himself, though Locke has more faith in man in that he will reason with himself and not harm another, whereas Hobbs believes man would go to any lengths to protect himself, even the urder of his fellow man. To Hobbs, in a State of Nature, man determines right and wrong but what he needs and wants, whereas Locke takes on more the view of reason, and right and wrong is determined by mans morals and reasons. But differences aside, without Hobbs influence on Locke’s work political society would be very different today. Hobbs first highlighted Social Contract Theory, and Locke was the first to argue it. The world of politics owes a lot to them.