The Concept Of State Of Nature

With these natural causes of quarrel, Hobbes concludes that the natural condition of humans is a state of perpetual war of all against all, where no morality exists, and everyone lives in constant fear (p.45). He believes that humans have three motivations for ending this state of war: the fear of death, the desire to have an adequate living and the hope to attain this through one’s labor (p.47). These beliefs become valid because of the use of his examples. One example suggests that people are barbaric to each other. With the absence of international law, strong countries prey on the weakness of weak countries. I believe that his views of moral behavior are very true. Like Hobbes said, people are out for their well-being. If I were to do a favor for someone, I may think I am helping someone out, which I am, but I am probably doing the favor because it is going to make me feel better. It is going to benefit my well being. Hobbes is a famous philosopher whose views were very controversial. But the fact that he lived in a time when the monarchy was the “divine right of kings” (p.42), makes his views valid today. With a different government and new laws, his views appear to be true.

Hobbes held a rather pessimistic view of human nature, writing in Leviathan that, in the state of nature, the lives of all humans would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” He believed that, in the state of nature (ie without a without a central power), every man is in constant war with every other man. This constant battle arises from the fact that no one can trust anyone else not to harm or steal from them. You may tell me that you won’t steal my horse, but there’s nothing stopping you from murdering me in my sleep and making off with all of my possessions. Thus, I must expect an attack – to prevent it, it would be wise for me to act first, killing you before you kill me. We see how the natural state of war arises.

Hobbes held a pessimistic view of human beings. Hobbes saw the State of Nature as being in an actual state of war with every man for himself, only having loyalty for others when it was beneficial to their self. He felt all men are selfish beings and unable to have concern for others over their own needs and desires. Men were naturally in a state of competition and dissent due to man’s selfish State of Nature, “man against man.” A life that was solitary, nasty, brutish, and short. He argued, “…because the condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” (Hobbes: pg. 638 sec. 4) Man being arrogant saw other men as neither wiser nor more inept than themselves. Hobbes saw

Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher from England whose work and ideas have arguably made him the founder of modern political philosophy. His most famous work is the Leviathan, which he wrote in 1651. In it he describes his view of human nature and hence his view of government. Hobbes’ view of justice is based on his view of what he names the state of nature and the right of nature. Hobbes defines the state of nature as a “war” of everyone against everyone. Hobbes describes the right of nature to be self-preservation. Justice, in order to appease both the state of nature and the right of nature, is then a human construct created out of our drive for self-preservation, at least according to Hobbes. He defines justice as the keeping of valid or enforced

Thomas Hobbes describes his views on human nature and his ideal government in Leviathan. He believes human nature is antagonistic, and condemns man to a life of violence and misery without strong government. In contrast to animals, who are able to live together in a society without a coercive power, Hobbes believes that men are unable to coexist peacefully without a greater authority because they are confrontational by nature. “In the nature of man”, Hobbes says “there are three principal causes of quarrel: first, competition; secondly, diffidence, thirdly, glory” and then he goes on to list man’s primary aims for each being gain, safety and reputation (Hobbes, Leviathan, 13, 6).

Since there is this constant struggle to get what you want, protect what you already have, and attain power and glory, all men are continuously in a state of what Hobbes deems war. It is a civil war because there isn’t a common power to rule everyone as every man is for himself. This perpetual civil war makes it pretty much impossible for anyone to function productively let alone make any kind of developments whatsoever. This chaotic state is what Hobbes calls the ‘state of nature’:

1. The "states of nature" talks about mankind’s condition without government. Hobbes says that if humans had no government, then life would be “solitary, nasty, brutish and short.” Meaning that humans are selfish, and will not look out for the “public good.” So in other words, without the government human beings would hurt and kill each other without thinking twice. According to Hobbes it is a myth to do the right thing just because it is the so called right thing to do. Therefore, humans only do what is right when they are forced, and because they want to survive. Humans also recognize that there is a government that is waiting to punish them if they disobey the law.

In his Leviathan, Hobbes describes the state of nature as a state of war between all men. Hobbes refers to the state of nature as a state where there is no common power over them (Leviathan 13, 293). By this, Hobbes is explaining the state of nature as a state of existence without a governing entity or laws over men. In this state, men have the right to take anything they need in order to preserve themselves (Leviathan 14, 294). Next, Hobbes explains that all men are equal in ability, and he takes great care to explain that in a single ability, such as strength, men are not equal because there will be stronger men and weaker men (Leviathan 13, 292). However, he explains that such inequalities can be overcome using deception or by acquiring allies (Leviathan 13, 292). The idea of equal ability is key to Hobbes’ argument because it ensures that everyone “has an equal hope of attaining their ends” (Leviathan 13, 293). One way to view this is each individual is able, or has the capacity, to fight because everyone is approximately equal in ability. If some individuals were stronger than others and weaker individuals had no method to counter their strength, then the weaker individuals would not want to fight because they would certainly lose. This capacity to fight gives everyone the ability to fight each other, so if have reason to fight, then they are able to fight. However, the capacity to fight is not enough because it will not necessarily drive men to fight each other

The state of nature is the idea of life without society, government, state, or laws. John Locke and Hobbes both agree that the state of nature is equivalent to a state of perfect freedom and equality, although they both understand these terms differently. Hobbes argues that equality leads to inequality in the state of nature. Inequality arises from the idea of man having the right to pursue their self-interest, with no duties to each other. Without duties to each other when, “Any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies” (Hobbes 184). In the Hobbesian natural state, man is made up of diffidence and lives with no security other than what he can provide himself (Hobbes 185). By virtue, men will enter a continuous state of war for self-preservation because it is man’s natural right to act on what he thinks is necessary to protect himself.

He argues that each individual has a subjective moral code that is derived from their own personal desires. Rather then individuals adhering to a similar notion of justice based on consensus and rationality, they will construe their moral values to align with their passion. As individual morality is relative to their own desires this is bound to create a sense of anarchy and conflict within a society that lacks a state as man’s passions are able to run wild. Hobbs in combining this individualistic morality along with the general conclusion regarding the rule of nature, highlights that their will inevitably be conflict the demand for resources by humans will continuously outweigh the necessary supply. . As humans are guided by their own virtues which is based on passion rather then rationality, there idea of what defines self preservation are misconstrued. Therefore their is a substantial incompatible imbalance between these two notions as an individual is able to justify any decision (killing another person) on the basis of achieving his own desires. This mindset of Hobbes is further compounded when reviewing the context of the author, who developed his concepts during a time of great civil

Hobbes believed that the State of Nature was the state of mankind that all people should fear, and that all humans should do anything they can to avoid returning to that state. Hobbes feared the State of Nature immensely, referring to it as “a war of all against all.” Hobbes also spoke of what he called the

Hobbes believed that human nature equated to individuals having self interest and being selfish. He believed that men fight for three reasons: glory, competition and diffidence. “They are in that condition which is called war; and such a war, as is of every man against every man,” (Leviathan) which makes the human nature “nasty, brutish and short.” That state of human nature that Hobbes proposed is similar to Locke’s state of war, in which everyone is against each other for their possessions. The only reason Hobbes believed societies are formed (the "social contract") and the people within those societies agree not to harm each other is to protect themselves from being harmed by other

Hobbes manifests that human beings are naturally similar. Driven by "a perpetual and restless desire of power that ceaseth only in death" (Melchert, 363), human beings seek only their own benefit and satisfy their own interests even to the prejudice of their fellow men. Hobbes also states that before society existed, individuals live in the state of nature, a world without laws or norms. A world in which, by natural instinct, the human being tries to preserve his own life and oppress others: "individuals will always act egoistically for their own good, and the inevitable consequence is a state of war" (Melchert, 365). According to Hobbes, human beings enter a state of nature guided by an instinct of defense that each has the right to persevere;

Thomas Hobbes born in 1588, was an English political theorist who believed in Monarchy. Hobbes felt that humans, by nature were inherently selfish beings. During the English Civil war, he expressed the need for an absolute ruler. Like how a man has control over his household. To Hobbes, “without an absolute ruler people would kill each other” (Lawrence Smith Lecture). Due to humans being inherently selfish, they would risk the commonwealth of the community for themselves. This would likely cause complications in society and the social disorder. Hobbes conveyed that, “laws make people behave as civilized people” and without them, people

Hobbes believes that in the state of nature, humans have no laws, morals, police force, property, government, culture, knowledge, or durable infrastructure. Within this state of nature, people have no morals and do as they please without any consequence. As