The State of Nature in Hobbes´ Leviathan - 1062 Words

In his text, Leviathan, Hobbes argues that the generation of all states ,regardless of what type of state, comes from the need to escape a common fear among all men. In other words, there is generally no great difference between one type of state from the other in terms of the ends that such states seek to achieve. The generation of all states, ,principalities or republics, comes from the common fear of what Hobbes dubs â€Å"the state of nature† (54). The state of nature is essentially life in an anarchic society without a government where every man is free to act upon his own desires, passions, appetites, and aversions without a law to regulate them (43). Life , is thus, a â€Å"war of every man against every man† because the law that prevails is one of self-preservation, survival, and maximization of self-interests (54). The ultimate goal under such a state is to escape it and the only way to do so is through the generation of a social contract between all men. The essence of this contract can be summarized in two points: firstly, that all men give up their equal predisposition to kill one another and/or rule one another. Secondly, that all men transfer their rights and their collective goal of achieving peace and security to a sovereign office that can achieve these goals by upholding the social contract through fear, punishment, and consent (76). It is the mixture of these two points that generates the Hobbesian Leviathan or the state whose head is the sovereign office andShow MoreRelatedThomas Hobbes State of Nature in Leviathan Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pagesthat grew from them. However, in Thomas Hobbes Leviathan we see a departure from this inequality. The argument of people being equal and the state of man that he develops from that belief are central not only to his own theory but to the world of political science today. It is his examination of people being equal, followed by the state of nature and war, and finally his look at various laws of nature that lead a natural path to his political solution. Hobbes assertion that all people are equal isRead MoreThomas Hobbes State of Nature in Leviathan Essay847 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the view Thomas Hobbes presents within the selected passaged in the Leviathan, we live in a narcissistic society where man’s condition is primarily driven by ego and where the achievement of personal goals is deemed paramount. Within the State of Nature that is, outside of civil society we have a right to all things ‘even to one another’s body’, and there would be no agreed authority to ensure the moral grounds of our decisions. Therefore since there are no restrictions and no sharedRead MoreState of Nature and Freedom: Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes1424 Words   |  6 PagesState of Nature and Freedom In the Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes places limits on the freedom of individuals in the social contract, as well as individuals in the state of nature. Hobbes writes that in the state nature, â€Å"the liberty each man hath to use his own power as he will himself for the preservation of his own nature; doing anything which, in his own judgement and reason, he shall conceive to be the aptest means there unto† (ch. 14,  ¶1). An individual’s will is only free when there is no extraneousRead MoreDo Metaphors Really Matter?1208 Words   |  5 Pageswill be the metaphor used by the famous English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, in his famous book, â€Å"Leviathan† which was published in 1651. Thomas Hobbes and the Leviathan Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher who had his interests based mainly on political affairs. As stated earlier, his most famous piece of work, â€Å"Leviathan† was a platform through which Hobbes expressed his ideas of how an ideal state ought to look like. The term â€Å"Leviathan† is used in the Bible in the book of Job, where the creature is describedRead MoreDefinition Of Human Nature In Hobbess Leviathan1191 Words   |  5 PagesHobbes’ conception of human nature as detailed in Leviathan is largely influenced by his first-hand experiences in 17th century England. As detailed in lecture, Hobbes’ life was characterized by constant fear, which reached its apex during the English Civil War. During the conflict, he saw a society with no clear sovereign power ripping itself apart in a state of absolute war. Published at the end of the War, Hobbes’ Leviathan details his thoughts on the importance of a clearly defined sovereignRead MoreThe Leviathan Vs. H obbess Ideal Society910 Words   |  4 PagesIn contrast to Locke, many believe Hobbes’ political philosophy is rather pessimistic and cynical. Hobbes’ Leviathan argues that civil peace can only be achieved by the establishment of a commonwealth through the social contract. Unlike Locke’s democracy ruled by the majority, Hobbess ideal society is ruled by a sovereign power that’s only duty is to protect the commonwealth, he says that the sovereign needs absolute authority to ensure the common defense. He uses the example of an artificial personRead MoreThomas Hobbes Philosophical Political Piece1317 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hobbe s philosophical political piece The Leviathan argues that society functions most effectively if all state and commonwealth is delegated by an all powerful sovereign, and that without it we are in a state of chaos, otherwise titled by Hobbes as the state of nature (Thomas Hobbes, 2002, p. 181). I will argue that it is not possible to acknowledge what life is like in the state of nature without fully acknowledging that life in the state of nature leads to an all-powerful sovereignRead MoreThomas Hobbes s Views On Human Nature And His Ideal Government1540 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hobbes describes his views on human nature and his ideal government in Leviathan. He believes human nature is antagonistic, and condemns man to a life of violence and misery without strong government. In contrast to animals, who are able to live together in a society without a coercive power, Hobbes believes that men are unable to coexist peacefully without a greater authority because they are confrontational by nature. â€Å"In the nature of man†, Hobbes says â€Å"there are three principal causesRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes886 Words   |  4 Pagesand Thomas Hobbes. In, Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes, and in, The Second Treatise of Government, by John Locke different theories of political legitimacy and definitions of the state of nature are described. The following paragraphs analyze multiple different points that are imperative to understanding these political theories. In the reading, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes discusses what human existence is in the state of nature and the state of war. As it is described, the state of nature explains howRead MoreHobbes And The Natural State Of Nature Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hobbes political philosophy lies in his delineations of two distinct conditions which men can reside in; the state of nature, and the commonwealth led by a sovereign, otherwise referred to as the Leviathan. In order to illustrate how the former state gives way to the latter, Hobbes constructs a perception of nature in which the lives of men are riddled with ambiguity, fear, and distrust. He proposes, then, that the optimal civil society is not constructed by embracing the natural state of man