Humanity In Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

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In his book Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes describes the nature of man as functioning solely upon the pursuit of desire for power and of war. Every emotion is a variation of desire, and these desires motivate us to act. He describes the natural condition in which humans are being without political authority. Living in a chaotic and unjust society where every man lives by his own desires, Hobbes argues that humans must use reason and follow the laws of nature. According to these laws, which I will explain further in depth, reason will cause individuals to search for peace, and cause people to appoint a sovereign, a “leviathan”, to administer peace. However, due to the human nature as described by Hobbes, even though a leader is elected, it would not …show more content…

His claim of human nature extends towards claiming that all humans are equal. Because everyone is equal, this gives each man ample opportunity to take anything that he desires from anyone else, or act in any way, in their desire to live a more comfortable life. Hobbes calls this the “natural condition”, where any man can do whatever he wants; everyone is free. However, due to the fact that everyone is free, it also remains that no one is free. If one man wishes to kill another, there is nothing stopping him from committing such an act, considering every man lives solely to fulfill his personal desires. In the natural condition, if humans have absolute freedom and the right to act as they please, it leads to very little and no freedom because they live in constant fear of one another. By living in these conditions, men will live a life that is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes 76). Furthermore, in the natural condition, no one is free to have or keep what they desire, because anyone can take it. There is no agreement on what’s good, what is just, or what is moral, and it’s difficult to agree on what is fair because humans live in such anarchy. He also claims that nothing can be unjust, because there is no means to understand what is moral or immoral (78). The natural condition includes no morality, as no one is being guided by good beyond what is …show more content…

Although Hobbes mentions nineteen laws, I will only discuss the first four. The first law states to seek peace. Each man must venture to attain peace, and therefore defend themselves. The second law states forming a contract, in which humans will agree to renounce their freedom over another as long as the other does the same, and there will be no reason to break the promise. One individual gives up their right to harm another, so long as the other does the exact same. The third law states to be just, and uphold their part of the contract and not betray or manipulate it. And lastly, the fourth law states to show gratitude. By showing gratitude this will ensure that no one will regret having formed a

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