The Absolute Government In Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

Human nature signifies the set of principles that define how mankind operates on a daily basis. Generations have debated the nature of man, with both optimistic and cynical views. Government represents the organized structure that controls man. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes advocates for an absolute monarchy to keep citizens well behaved because man is inherently self-interested. John Locke, on the other hand, depicts in Second Treatise of Government that a bipartite political society signifies the ideal form of government because we are in a state of nature and are free to do as we please. Hobbes' theory that absolute monarchy is the best form of government because of man’s constant state of war is a sound assertion because humans have conflicting

Man is composed of matter, and similar to matter man resists outside forces. Man naturally avoids pain while pursuing pleasure. This natural tendency of man to focus on his own desires creates a conflict of interest when the desires of two men collide. Hobbes describes this discord as a constant “state of war” that is present as a result of the conflicting desires amongst mankind. Consequently, “every man is enemy to every man,” and the life of man is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” (Leviathan 76). In this state of war, humans choose to neglect the needs of their neighbors. They act as self-interested beasts, who will do anything to achieve their desires while competing against one another. Each night, man chooses to lock his doors because he understands there are self-interested creatures, similar to himself, who are outside and willing to sacrifice the needs of others for personal gain. The similar, conflicting desires of man create a state of war, which manifests itself through man’s mutual fear of one

In order for a monarch to stay in power, he must satisfy the needs of the people. Hobbes articulates “in monarchy the private interest is the same with the public,” (Leviathan 120) because a ruler can’t maintain power without the support of his people. As it has already been demonstrated that the citizens want security through the formation of government, it thereby follows that a monarch would provide security, both internal and external, in order to appease both his and the public’s self interest. Furthermore, in order to provide security for the people, resolute actions are needed. When faced with tough conflicts that concern security, indecisiveness can prove to be fatal for a region. If there is not a consensus on the appropriate course of action, it is possible that no decision is made, which would be catastrophic. Fortunately, “a monarch cannot disagree with himself,” (Leviathan 121) and therefore would not have to face indecisiveness when making decisions. Resolute decisions would ensure that security is actually enforced and therefore the citizens’ demands would be appeased. Moreover, as Socrates would assert, the best opinion is found with the expert rather than the majority. Absolute monarchy relies on the decisions of an expert and therefore signifies the most efficient government to provide security while avoiding a state of war.

John Locke presents a view that