ipl-logo

Analysis Of John Hobbes And Cons Of Social Contract

789 Words4 Pages

He believed that the situation was not entirely bleak because we are intelligent beings who can overcome the State of nature by forming states and creating civil society. Hobbes believed that if each individual shares the same views about acquiring peace and mutual co-operation then they can construct a social contract that will grant them immunity from the State of Nature. A social contract can be broken apart into two phases: the first is that people must mutually agree to establishing a society collectively by acknowledging each other’s right to live equally and the second phase is that they must agree to submit to the authority of an individual or group who will in turn make sure that the first phase of the social contract will be carried out. This is done so that those people who choose to engage in a social contract with one another can have surety that even if their counterparts fail to reciprocate the social contract terms then the authority in charge will enforce certain laws that will punish and deter people from going against the social contract. Since a state will be granted the authority to enforce punishments for those who breach the social contract then people will begin adjusting their lifestyles to in accordance with the social contract unlike in the State of Nature wereby there was no officially authority to rule and enforce order so that people can co-operate despite their differences. This is a good way for people to live amongst each other harmoniously

Show More
Related

  • Articles Of Confederation Dbq

    1053 Words  | 5 Pages

    There is no government, no authority whatsoever. Every being is born equal and share the right to do anything for their survival. His political theory was based off his idea that all humans are naturally evil and selfish. Hobbes said that this equality leads to war. “...a war of every man against every man.”

    Read More

  • Edmund Burke's Criticisms Of Hobbes Social Contract

    1815 Words  | 8 Pages

    Burke’s Criticisms of Hobbes’ Social Contract Edmund Burke, after a visit to France in 1773, wrote a pamphlet titled Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) to express his disdain for the events and methods of the French Revolution. Where other political writers of the Enlightenment and Anti-Enlightenment Eras propose theories of politics and government, Burke does not promote a theory, a set of premises, a call to action, or even a succinct conclusion. He rather details his disposition of contractual government and politic science.

    Read More

  • Human And Savage Man Rousseau Analysis

    1005 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hobbes ' doctrine describes human in nature with respect to his desires. Humanly behaves according to aversion and appetite. If we ask why equality cause diffidence, Hobbes says all men desires the same thing. Moreover, he did not give any characteristic which provides to consider others during the steps which go to contract to the state. None the less, he mentioned three essential personal trade of savage men: free will, perfectibility and compassion.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes And Ideal Government

    1401 Words  | 6 Pages

    According to Hobbes the main part of life is in a natural state, to limit their freedom by transferring power Leviathan. For the philosophy of the state is the end of the "war of all against all." He adamantly adhered to the principle of human equality, he praised the role of the state, which was the supreme authority. In its ideal state power to control people 's views, there is a limited censorship and have religious restrictions. In other words, monarchy was the best form of government to ensure a better social life.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Locke And Thomas Hobbes Disenfranchisement

    281 Words  | 2 Pages

    The social contract theory comes to effect when individuals are keen on leaving the state of nature, which entails a time of chaos and lawlessness. Hobbes views this state of nature as states of war where there are individuals constantly seeking to destroy each other in the constant quest for power. Whilst Hobbes believes that life in this state of nature is “nasty, brutish, and short,” Locke holds a more optimistic view of the state of nature. In Locke’s view of the state of nature, all men are free “to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of

    Read More

  • Essay On John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

    1816 Words  | 8 Pages

    While it is not far fetched to say that people prioritize their interest above the interests of other people, this does not mean that they would be in a constant state of war. People are able of cooperation, and in fact need to cooperate in order to survive. To assume that Hobbes’ state of nature was true would be to assume that the only thing stopping people from killing, lying, and stealing is the fact that the law prohibits it. However, most people carry some sort of morality that stops them from doing that, and they also know that cooperation would get them much further than competition. Even if we assume, however, that Hobbes’ state of nature is true, it still would not justify obeying a tyrannical government.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes's Discourse On Inequality And Social Contract

    2000 Words  | 8 Pages

    Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan and Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his Discourse on Inequality and Social Contract each attempt to explain the rise of and prescribe the proper management of human society. At the foundation of both philosophies is the principle that humans are asocial by nature, a precept each philosopher interprets and approaches in a different way. Hobbes states that nature made humans relatively “equal,” and that “every man is enemy to every man.” Life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” he says, and “every man has right to everything.” Rousseau outlines primitive asocial man having “everything necessary for him to live in the state of nature” from “instinct alone,” and being “neither good nor evil.”

    Read More

  • Locke Vs Thomas Hobbes State Of Nature Essay

    1437 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hobbes viewed state of nature as a state of war. According to Hobbes, in a state of nature, there is no right to property because no one affords another that right. He stated that property and possessions would inevitably cause men to become enemies. Hobbes believes that people have equal physical and mental ability to harm, and that people will do so for three reasons - competition, difference, and glory. " so that in the state of nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel, first, competition; secondly, difference; thirdly, glory" (Hobbes 2008, p.85).

    Read More

  • Locke Vs Hobbes Dbq

    1208 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hobbes believed that man must escape their state of nature to be protected. Within this social contract the ruler had absolute power over the people which lead to their words and opinions never being heard. Hobbes believed that for the government to function properly, the people must obey the absolute monarchy and accept that their opinions are not being accounted. Hobbes explained, “And therefore, they that are subjects to a Monarch, cannot without his leave cast off Monarchy, and return to the confusion of a disunited Multitude; not tranferre their Person from him that beareth it…” (Hobbes in Perry, 22).

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes Influence On Thomas Jefferson's Declaration Of Enlightenment

    493 Words  | 2 Pages

    One his theories, stated in his book called Leviathan said that people are not able rule themselves because of how selfish mankind is and they need to be ruled by an iron fist. His political theory was that was also stated in Leviathan was that we should respect government authority under all circumstances to avoid violence. Hobbes was scared of the outcome of the social contract which meant people could get rid of the government if they were unhappy with what they were getting. In order to make well with the social contract he states in Leviathan that people should be completely obedient to the government. His reasoning was that if there was no government, there would be chaos.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Thomas Hobbes Theory Of Social Contract

    838 Words  | 4 Pages

    Summary Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) theory of social contract, which states that we need moral, legal rules because we want to escape the state of nature which is solitary, poor, brutal, nasty, and short. In this state, a man can kill others, and there are limited resources. This can soon lead to a state of war in which we are constantly disposed to harm others to achieve our goals. So, in this state of war if a person was to possess a beautiful house or property, and had all the comforts, luxuries, and amenities to lead a wonderful life; others could come and harm him and deprive him of his fruit of labor, life, and liberty. Therefore, the state of nature is that of fear, violence, and distrust.

    Read More

  • How Did Thomas Hobbes Influence American Government

    1212 Words  | 5 Pages

    The age of enlightenment was a philosophical peak in history that set a course for the rest of time. Many different ideas were brought about that shaped the way we live to this day, especially here in the states. Two philosophers in particular affected the United States of America; Thomas Hobbes and Tom Locke. Both of these philosophers pasts formed their philosophy and the ideas they had, which affected the government of their time, and our government today. Hobbes and Locke had very different upbringings and backgrounds, which led them to having very different points of view on life.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Thomas Hobbes And John Locke

    1441 Words  | 6 Pages

    Both social contract philosophers defended different views about moral and political obligations of men living in the state of nature stripped of their social characters. The state of nature illustrates how human beings acted prior to entering into civil society and becoming social beings living under common legitimacy. The state of nature is to be illustrated as a hypothetical device to explain political importance in the society. Thomas Hobbes, propounded politics and morality in his concept of the state

    Read More

  • Examples Of Thomas Hobbes Social Contract

    325 Words  | 2 Pages

    -Social contract is the contract between the people and government, and the people have the right to create a new government if the laws stated in that government were violated. For example, the creator of basketball created rules to make the game fair, and now him and everyone else that decides to play basketball has to follow the rules stated. Another example, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes that humans are naturally evil that they need a social contracts to prevent violence. Which mean that we(humans) created a government in order to have someone control what we can and cannot do. -Supremacy clause states that if a federal law and a state law come into conflict with one another, the federal law will have priority over the state law.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

    262 Words  | 2 Pages

    When compared to Locke, Hobbes’ vision of the state of nature is far more pessimistic and grim. In his work, Leviathan, he argues against the idea that man has an innate moral compass guiding his actions, suggesting instead that man is a collection of passions that he is either drawn to or repelled from. It is this interpretation of the human condition that pins him directly against Locke. In his state of nature, Hobbes’ man is undeniably self-interested, with his ultimate objectives being the acquisition of as many “passions” as possible, his overall self-preservation, and to avoid pain, while simultaneously maintaining little to no regard for others (187). Additionally, there is no conception of right and wrong, no clear existence of private

    Read More

More about Analysis Of John Hobbes And Cons Of Social Contract

Open Document