Locke’d in 17th Century Hobbesian Hell: The State of Nature explains U.S. Practices in Guantanamo Bay

American Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, once said, “They who would give up liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty, nor security.” It is perhaps paradoxical that Mr. Franklin argues that individual liberty trumps security concerns -- this vastly overlooks the function of the state that he helped design to protect against self-interested individuals. Although 17th Century philosophers, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, had different conceptions of the origins and the role of the state, they both argue that, in an organized political society, individuals must forego their individual rights for collective security. Their theories have withstood the tests of time, and in this paper, I will argue that John Locke and Thomas Hobbes’ conceptions of the state and its responsibility to protect the people justifies the United States’ current counter-terrorism measures in Guantanamo Bay.