Unlike Thomas Hobbes, who viewed the state of nature as a 'war of all against all,' John Locke argued that it was a state of perfect freedom and equality governed by the law of nature, which is reason. In this state, individuals possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property, though they lack an impartial judge to settle disputes.

John Locke wrote a series of letters concerning toleration, which were instrumental in the development of liberal thought regarding religious freedom and the separation of church and state. 'A Second Letter Concerning Toleration' was published in 1690 as a response to critics of his first letter, further refining his arguments for the necessity of religious pluralism and the limits of state authority in matters of conscience.

John Locke is a foundational figure in liberal political theory. His work emphasizes the 'Consent theory' of government, which posits that political legitimacy is derived from the governed. Additionally, he advocated for a 'Limited Government' to protect natural rights. These concepts form the bedrock of his contribution to constitutionalism and the social contract tradition, distinguishing his work from absolute monarchical theories.

Locke's theory is fundamentally opposed to absolute power. He argues that the authority of the government is limited by the purposes for which it was created: the protection of natural rights. Any power exercised beyond these limits is illegitimate, as the government is a fiduciary agent of the people, not their master.

Locke was a staunch proponent of constitutional government. He believed that the powers of the government should be limited by law and that the legislative branch should be supreme. His political philosophy provided the theoretical justification for the constitutional monarchy that emerged in England following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, emphasizing the separation of powers and the protection of individual liberties.

John Locke is a foundational liberal thinker who argued that property is a natural right existing prior to the formation of the state. He posited that the primary purpose of government is to protect these natural rights, including life, liberty, and estate. Any statement suggesting that Locke rejected property as a natural right or that he advocated for absolute government power would be inconsistent with his core political doctrine.

Rousseau argued that true liberty is found in obedience to the 'general will,' which represents the collective interest of the community rather than individual desires. By submitting to the general will, individuals are essentially obeying laws they have prescribed for themselves as part of the sovereign body, thereby achieving moral and political freedom within the social contract.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the influential Genevan philosopher whose works on the social contract and the general will shaped modern political thought, died on July 2, 1778, in Ermenonville, France. His death occurred shortly before the French Revolution, an event his political philosophy would profoundly influence.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the primary architect of the concept of popular sovereignty. In his work 'The Social Contract', he argues that legitimate political authority resides in the 'General Will' of the people, rather than in a monarch or a specific governing body, thereby establishing the foundation for modern democratic theory.

Rousseau critiques monarchy primarily for its tendency to prioritize the monarch's private interest over the general will. He argues that in a monarchy, the public will is often subordinated to the ruler's personal desires. While he discusses the dangers of corporate wills in other contexts, the specific danger of confusing the corporate will with the general will is more central to his critique of partial associations within the state.