▸ HEAD-TO-HEAD

HOBBES VS LOCKE

Hobbes
1588–1679
What is is not what must be.
Locke
1632–1704
What is is not what must be.

▸ WHERE THEY SHARPLY DISAGREED

The three dimensions on which Hobbes and Locke are farthest apart on Mull's 0–10 scale.

  • Tragic VisionΔ 4 / 10
    Hobbes: 7/10
    Locke: 3/10

    clearly (4/10): Hobbes sees tragedy and limit as central; Locke doesn't make that the starting point.

  • Will to PowerΔ 3 / 10
    Hobbes: 8/10
    Locke: 5/10

    somewhat (3/10): Hobbes emphasises shaping and self-overcoming; Locke weighs acceptance or context more.

  • Trust in ReasonΔ 2 / 10
    Hobbes: 9/10
    Locke: 7/10

    somewhat (2/10): Hobbes trusts reasoned argument more strongly than Locke does.

▸ WHERE THEY OVERLAPPED

Where the gap is smallest — both with meaningful presence on the dimension (not "neither cared").

  • Embodied Sensibilitygap 0 / 10
    Hobbes: 5/10
    Locke: 5/10

    Both register moderate embodied sensibility.

  • Communal Embeddednessgap 0 / 10
    Hobbes: 5/10
    Locke: 5/10

    Both register moderate communal embeddedness.

  • Theoretical Drivegap 1 / 10
    Hobbes: 7/10
    Locke: 6/10

    Both register moderate theoretical drive.

▸ ALL 16 DIMENSIONS

The full vector comparison. Bars show their 0–10 scores side-by-side.

  • Ascetic TendencyΔ 0
  • Communal EmbeddednessΔ 0
  • Embodied SensibilityΔ 0
  • Mystical ReceptivityΔ 1
  • Practical OrientationΔ 1
  • Reverence for TraditionΔ 1
  • Self as IllusionΔ 1
  • Skeptical ReflexΔ 1
  • Sovereign SelfΔ 2
  • Theoretical DriveΔ 1
  • Trust in ExperienceΔ 1
  • Trust in ReasonΔ 2
  • Tragic VisionΔ 4
  • Universalist ImpulseΔ 2
  • Vital AffirmationΔ 1
  • Will to PowerΔ 3
HOBBESLOCKE
What to do next

Where do you sit between Hobbes and Locke?

  1. 01 · QUIZ
    The Inheritor
    Take the quiz — see which of them you sit closer to on the map.
    CONTINUE ▶
  2. 02 · PROFILE
    Henry Sidgwick
    A third thinker who sits between them — useful for triangulating.
    CONTINUE ▶
  3. 03 · ARENA
    Argue Hobbes
    Face Hobbes in a 5-minute single-turn debate, judged on rigor.
    CONTINUE ▶