Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes is one of the most influential political philosophers known to man. His writings on political theory are comparable to the level of writings of many great thinkers including Aristotle and Plato. In the 1600’s, Hobbes published numerous works on political theory. His ideas became part of many countries governmental structures and laws. For example, the system of checks and balances that exists in the United States was predicated off of Hobbes’s ideas. However, one of the most important pieces that was published was his ideas on the “social contract”. Hobbes was among one of the first people to be considered a “contractarian”. It is through Hobbes that the stage is set for many thinkers to base their works off of. During Hobbes’s time, he was considered to be controversial because ideas went against the church’s beliefs. His political theories served as the groundwork for later political philosophers to further develop the ideas and theories that Hobbes developed.
The state of nature is an idea that Hobbes utilizes to challenge people to think about how life would be without any government. In the state of nature, Hobbes views humans equally in the sense that we could equally kill each other. His view of humans in the state of nature is somewhat pessimistic. He believes that people are not benevolent beyond a certain superficial level. According to Hobbes, people tend to view their own lives more valuable than the life of someone else. Like Machiavelli, Hobbes believes that to some extent the ends justify the means in the sense that a person go to any length to achieve what they believe to be their most vital needs. In the state of nature, where no government exists there would be no central power that executes decisions for the people. Essentially, autonomy or self-government would be what occurs in the state of nature as people act on their own behalf deciding what is best for them with no higher authority to answer to.
Hobbes believes this will lead to a life of utter disaster and destruction because people are not capable of acting on their own behalf without becoming animalistic. Justification of the state was only existent if people consented to it. In the state of nature people are free to act on their own behalf and do what they feel is in their best self-interest. Hobbes’ view of the state of nature is somewhat pessimistic because when no authority exists humans behave more like animals. They take on animalistic behaviors, turning against one another, each one for themselves. It becomes everyone against everyone. Hobbes believes the state of nature to be a state of utter chaos. This is similar to the theory of “survival of the fittest”. Furthermore, social Darwinism or where every country; every society; every individual pushes to be the best in one or more aspects.
Hobbes believed that absolute monarchy is a necessary component in government to prevent the rivalry among people in their pursuit of their self-interests. Furthermore, the state of nature is merely a concept, according to Hobbes. However, it is not a concept to be taking lightly because there are countries that, in Hobbes’s view, have already been in the state of nature or still are in the state of nature. He believes it is something to be feared.
In the social contract there are numerous parties that exist. These parties would enter into agreement as rational and equal people. These parties are as follows: God, the state of nature, the sovereign and the people. However, in the Hobbesian Social Contract only people exist. Contracts are made from people to people excluding God, the state of nature and the sovereign. Hobbes believes that the sovereign are above the law. According to Hobbes, it is people who make the contract in spite of cooperation but father through fear. People do not willingly enter a contract knowing they will lose rights and power; a social contract is simply an agreement. Social contracts are based on the notion of consent; consent of both parties based upon a foundation of agreement. Even though one or several parties may have justifiable reasons for entering a contract, it is not the case of society as a whole. Further, these parties must enter into contract under the terms of rationality and accepting moral norms. If these conditions do not exist, the contract is not effective because the stability of the parties is unequal.
Hobbes does not believe in an actual existence of the social contract. He views it as a utopian idea that arises through fear as people desert their rights in the search of rationality to enter these contracts. He is not a liberal thinker and sees that following such a course leads to a tyrannical way of governing. Hobbes believes society should submit to a power that has unlimited reign; one that is undivided and sovereign. Essentially, Hobbes believes absolutism is the result of social contract.
In many ways, Hobbes’s ideas are similar to how I view my own life. We live in a global society where countries are interdependent upon each other. In our daily lives, especially in America, we enter into contracts more out of fear than cooperation because we do not want to be sued. Although, Hobbes is a pessimist in regards to man in the state of nature, he is generally right in his depiction of humans. At some points in my life I did something because I was going to receive something in return. However, unlike most people, I am an altruistic being; yet I understand that most people act in their best self-interests. However, I do not agree that absolute self-judgment and power is necessarily a bad thing as long as it does not become out of control. But this is exactly what Hobbes feared- the state of nature is all against all. It is an all out war where men do what is best for themselves even it inflicts pain amongst the members of society.
In America, we have a government that is supposed to oversee what goes on in the country. However, there was little to no regulation on Main Street or Wall Street thus attributing to the current financial crisis we are in. In some sense, I believe countries are on the brink of slipping into the state of nature where its everyone for themselves. Especially in the time of crisis (or war), people think twice about lending a helping hand because they have to put their life before someone else’s. We are slowly slipping because people no longer want to do for other or help especially if it is not going to improve their lives. So in that aspect, I agree with Hobbes that a state of nature is a state of chaos. However, I do not think as pessimistically as Hobbes because I believe there is good and evil in everyone; there just needs to be a balance.