Thomas Hobbes Essay

822 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The origin of government by the view thomas hobbes

Thomas Hobbes is the English philosopher, which is improved Western political philosophy and its terms like civil society, absolutism for the sovereign, right of the individual, legitimate power’s representativeness etc. In his famous book of Leviathan, he showed sovereign’s political order’s artificial character and what life would be without government which named as state of nature by the Hobbes. In this state like all people in the world also they will try to survive for their life and avoid their acts which can cause their death. According to Hobbes, the best possibilty for diminishing the possibilty of danger coming from another people is having social contract for establish civil society. According to Hobbes, the causes of conflicts are human’s innate behaivour like competitors for materials, feeling insecurity etc. In addition, thir fear of death can be advantage on the obeying their social contract for the peace. Law of nature’s rules are fundemental contract between people to avoid war which is the worst situation in the state. So to understand reasons of conflict and the solutions for long term peace firstly person should understand the law of nature’s requirements and Hobbes’ ideas reason for permanent peace monarchy is the best form of government mechanism.
Law of nature is a general rule that is discovered through reason. According to Hobbes, humans’ basic instict is survive and protect his life so they should seek peace. Due to that, first law of nature is the most important one is, to seek peace and follow it. The second, giving up some rights, reciprocity to defend. By all means we can defend ourselves. This mutual transferring of rights is called social contract and its basis of the notion of moral obligation. F...

... middle of paper ...

... is the only right form of government. Hobbes believes that any such conflict in system such as seperation of powers can leads to civil war. He holds that any form of ordered government is preferable to civil war. Thus he advocates that all members of society submit to one absolute, central authority for the sake of maintaining the common peace. For Hobbes, this is the only sure means of maintaining a civil, peaceful polity and preventing the dissolution of society into civil war.
In conclusion, conflicts reason is people’s instincts about competiton on material sources to be more powerful than others to avoid anticipation with obeying the law of nature to avoid fear of death and war is the best option for Hobbes. Moreover, monarchycial government which control the law of nature’s compliance with controling everything can prevent war and any conflict in the society.

Show More
Related

  • John Locke and Thomas Hobbes

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both believe that men are equal in the state of nature, but their individual opinions about equality lead them to propose fundamentally different methods of proper civil governance. Locke argues that the correct form of civil government should be concerned with the common good of the people, and defend the citizenry’s rights to life, health, liberty, and personal possessions. Hobbes argues that the proper form of civil government must have an overarching ruler governing the people in order to avoid the state of war. I agree with Locke’s argument because it is necessary for a civil government to properly care for its citizens, which in turn prevents the state of war from occurring in society. Locke also has a better argument than Hobbes because Hobbes’ belief that it is necessary to have a supreme ruler in order to prevent the state of war in society is inherently flawed. This is because doing so would create a state of war in and of itself.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes Research Paper

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, Hobbes argues in the Leviathan that people are equal mentally and physically. Therefore, people naturally will fight for what they want and to protect what is theirs. Hobbes argues that morality doesn’t apply in a society where there are no laws or governance. People do whatever is needed to do for self-preservation and whatever must be done is not seen as unjust. Additionally, everyone wants a greater power and this is to have control and so that they will be seen as less of a weak opponent to attack or invade their lands. I agree with Thomas Hobbes who argued that if people were not subject to laws or governance; everyone would result to fighting each other.

    Read More

  • It Is The Preoccupation With Abust, By Karl Hobbes

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hobbes, as one of the early political philosophers, believes human has the nature to acquire “power after power” and has three fundamental interests which are safety, “conjugal affections”, and riches for commodious lives. (Hobbes, p108, p191) From this basis, Hobbes deducts that in a state of nature, human tends to fight against each other (state of war) to secure more resources (Hobbes,

    Read More

  • Hobbes Justification Of Absolute Authority Analysis

    1986 Words  | 4 Pages

    tradition. Characteristic of his approach is an attempt to justify absolute political authority by an appeal to our rational nature, i.e., in order to avoid a state of war, the appointment of such an authority is considered to be in our best rational interest. By this is implied that we are to collectively give up our naturally endowed freedom in order to ascertain a prolonged existence. This allows for Hobbes to grant such an authority unbounded and absolute power: as long as this authority ensures our continued existence—which reflects our most fundamental drive—rebellion is strictly forbidden. Since the guarantee of our continued existence seems to function as the only criterion for a legitimate authority, one can question some of its implications.

    Read More

  • The Philosophy of Thomas Hobbs

    1747 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thomas Hobbes is known best for his political thought and the English philosopher. The vision of Hobbes for the world is still relevant to modern politics. He always focus the problems of social and political order: that how human beings can keep away the terror of civil and difference to live together in peace and got authorize to decide every social and political matter. Otherwise state of nature anticipate us and closely remind us of civil war where there everyone have insecurity and fear violent death and human cooperation. Hobbes himself had complex view of human motivation that most researcher accept. He see that human beings are much more self-interested. (Hobbes)

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes And John Locke: The State Of Nature

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    He believed that the people should be the basis of the government and that the power of the government is derived from the people’s feelings towards it. In the social contract, the people can revolt against an ineffective government, and it is the people who decide when a government is not longer acting in the best interests of its people. The only rights that people surrender are those that prevent the enforcement of the law of nature, all other rights remain intact. Since the issue in the state of nature was unintended biases that originated from the lack of reason, Locke suggests the idea of a legislator to act as the supreme power that represents the general good of the commonwealth, and the executive, that is the supreme power by default in the absence of the legislator, but is bound by a constitution. Unbiased judges and courts would then be responsible for punishing the transgressors of the natural law of the people, instead of potentially prejudice citizens. The overall purpose for the creation of a government is to insure the protection of a person’s life, liberty, and property. Unlike Locke’s values of freedom and liberty, Hobbes’ social contract is built upon order and safety. Like Locke, Hobbes social contract requires the reduction of individual liberties. However, Hobbes takes it a step further and believes that all people should give up all of their

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes's Views On Democracy

    1914 Words  | 4 Pages

    He made a statement on democracy that, “All mankind is in a perpetual and restless desire for power which can only stopped in death,” which would give power to the individual would be creating a dangerous situation which would start a “war of every man against every man, “and life will be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Despite all this, Thomas Hobbes still believed a separate group of representatives can present the problems of the common person to the king, but the absolute monarch has the final say

    Read More

  • Civil War In Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

    1805 Words  | 4 Pages

    In The Leviathan Thomas Hobbes argues for the establishment of a society that does not contain the elements of its own demise. Hobbes views civil war as a society’s ultimate demise, and the only way to avoid it is for the citizens initially to submit to an absolute political authority. For Hobbes, civil war is inevitable in every type of government except an absolute government. In order to sustain this absolute government, the citizens not only must submit to the absolute political authority, but they must also not partake in activities that actively undermine the absolute political authority’s power. For these reasons, it is clear that Hobbes believes in political obedience and its ability to influence the peace of a society. Furthermore,

    Read More

  • Modern Liberalism and Political Policies

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    For Thomas Hobbes, the state of nature is a theoretical model of life prior to the formation of the state, it’s institutions and the government. Individuals make their own decisions, and there are no recognized authoritative figures. There is also no morality. Hobbes believes that by nature, all humans are equal in faculties of body and mind, with no claims to exclusive benefits. Conflicts will arise due to this equality. When a particular object is desired by both parties, their competitive nature will suppress their natural desire for peace. Due to this, a state of war arises in which individuals ...

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    The second law of nature is derived directly from the first. It insists that man lay down his right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men liberty against himself,” (Leviathan 1, 14). Essentially, in the state of nature, a man has a right to all things. By following this second law of nature, a man gives up certain rights in hopes that other men do the same in pursuit of peace with one another.

    Read More

  • Hobbes' View of Human Nature and his Vision of Government

    446 Words  | 1 Pages

    Hobbes view of human nature lead him to develop his vision of an ideal government.  He believed that a common power was required to keep men united.  This power would work to maintain the artificial harmony among the people as well as protect them from foreign enemies.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes and the Realist School

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Leviathan, Hobbes states that a state of war will ensue that will put every man against himself. Eventually the state of war will lead the people towards peace and the only way to achieve the peace is through social contract. Hobbes continues further saying, social peace and civil unity are best achieved through the establishment of a commonwealth through a social contract. This social contract insists that a sovereign power be granted absolute power to protect the commonwealth. This sovereign power will be able to control the powers of human nature because its whole function is to protect the common man.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes View On Government

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The condition of man.. is a condition of war of everyone against everyone”. This is a famous quote from the English Philosopher, Thomas Hobbes. He is stating that if everyone has the same power, there will be a war against everyone. Instead of having the people rule, Hobbes wanted the government to have the full control over the people so that there wouldn’t be wars about the amount of power that one person has. In this essay, there will be many facts about how/why Hobbes’ view on government and human nature is the best for the people.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes' Social Contract Theory

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hobbes wrote the Leviathan during the civil war where he had experienced horrendous visions of violence. “Thomas Hobbes lived during some of the most tumultuous times in European history -- consequently, it should be no surprise that his theories were thoroughly pessimistic regarding human nature.” This may support his view that he would rather have any higher authority rather than none no matter how corrupted the government actually is. He wrote that the people “should respect and obey their government because without it society would descend into a civil war ‘of every man against every man’.” However, this may have been the cause for a bias view. To elaborate, a war is an extreme depiction of the potential volatility in human nature. Therefore making one aspect of humanity seems pre-dominant.

    Read More

  • Comparing Thomas Hobbes and Niccolo Machiavelli

    2258 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thomas Hobbes? idea of a perfect government was one of small proportions. All of the citizens of a country had a ?covenant?, or promise with the ruler. This covenant with the ruler stated that the citizen would give up the right to govern his or herself, and give that right to the ruler. Hobbes? idea of society arises from an innate competition between every man. Everyone seeks their advantage, and is always at war with everyone else for that advantage. These factions negotiate, according to Hobbes, complying with whatever principles will ensure survival for its members. So according to Hobbes, war is the natural state of man. Peace is only had by our natural tendencies to compromise, and survive.

    Read More

More about Thomas Hobbes Essay

Open Document