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Thomas Hobbes Leviathan Essay

939 Words4 Pages

If someone told you that god will send you to hell if you do not submit yourself to his rule, would you believe it? The existence of a god, an all powerful being of the universe, was unpersuasive to people who would doubt his power and continue to disobey authority. Not only of the governance of divine right, but also parliamentary and presidential systems where individuals are elected would people question why they should listen and obey their leaders. Thomas Hobbes suggested an argument that may persuade those who are skeptical of the ones in power. In 1651, Hobbes published the “Leviathan”, which argued that without a social contract between people, life would be filled with violence and everything would be in chaos. A social contract must …show more content…

In Chapter 13, Hobbes states that “[f]rom this equality of ability ariseth equality of hope in the attaining of our ends. And therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies; and in the way to their end... endeavour to destroy or subdue one another... [O]thers may probably be expected to come prepared with forces united to dispossess and deprive him, not only of the fruit of his labour, but also of his life or liberty.” The perception in the state of nature, how the quality and belief of quality, is precisely what contributes to the reason why people fight amongst each other. If people are to view themselves as equals, then naturally they would believe they deserve others’ rewards and benefits as well. Especially more so if they view themselves as the deserving, perceiving other people as the diminished. People could potentially act out, and enter into a state of war, thus, causing constant fear and agitation. The state of nature is the reason why individuals are unable to accumulate the means of survival as it is self-destructive. Unless laws exist, people cannot be blamed until it is established, and none of these laws can be agreed on initially as everyone thinks they should establish the laws themselves, therefore no law can be made until they trust the person that shall make

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Thomas Hobbes Leviathan Essay

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Thomas Hobbes has been famous for his philosophies on political and social order. In many of his scholastic works, he maintains the position that in the presence of a higher authority the duty of the rest of mankind is to simply obey. The discourse on this essay will focus on his views expressed in his book The Leviathan. In this book Hobbes’ views are fundamentally entrenched in his description that in a society with no higher authority life would be nasty, short and brutish (?) .This essay will engage in discussion by first laying out the conceptual arguments of anarchy and the human state of nature.

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1084 Words | 5 Pages

Thomas Hobbes proposed that the ideal government should be an absolute monarchy as a direct result of experiencing the English Civil War, in which there was internal conflict between the parliamentarians and the royalists. Hobbes made this claim under the assumption that an absolute monarchy would produce consistent policies, reduce conflicts and lower the risk of civil wars due to the singular nature of this ruling system. On another hand, John Locke counters this proposal with the view that absolute monarchies are not legitimate as they are inconsistent with the state of nature. These two diametrically opposed views stem from Hobbes’ and Locke’s different understandings of human nature, namely with regard to power relationships, punishment, and equality in the state of nature. Hobbes’ belief that human beings are selfish and appetitive is antithetical with Locke’s contention that human beings are intrinsically moral even in the state of nature, which results in Locke’s strong disagreement with Hobbes’ proposed absolute monarchy.

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