How does hobbes describe the natural state of humans

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Petit, P. Raphael, D. Ryan, A. Mendus, ed. In the first part, it encourages a state of peace by instructing individuals to satisfy their desire for self-preservation. Yet, because peaceful coexistence requires reciprocity, if only one party seeks peace, it is unlikely it will be established.

Humans, as we have seen, have a natural right to determine what is necessary for their own individual survival. The existence of this natural right often promotes a state of war, so peace requires that individuals renounce or transfer this right in part or in whole. From the first law of nature, then, Hobbes derives a second law according to which individuals must lay down their natural rights universally and concurrently in order to obtain peace.

A natural right is relinquished either by transferring a right to a specific recipient or by renouncing the right entirely.

In order to escape the war of all against all, Hobbes claims, a common power must be established by a mutual transference of right to protect the individuals not only from foreign invaders, but also from each other.

Thus, a person cannot give up the natural right to self-preservation or to the means of self-preservation. According to the second law of nature, then, we must transfer those rights whose exercise contributes to civil conflict.

This leads to the third law of nature stating that individuals must abide by any covenants consented to freely. For a common power to perform the task for which it is erected, it is necessary that individuals follow through on their mutual agreements. In Leviathan , Hobbes deduces sixteen more laws of nature, all of which aim at maintaining the state of peace established by the erection of a common power. These laws provide a code of moral behavior by prohibiting socially destructive behavior or attitudes, such as drunkenness or ingratitude.

The political consequence of the laws of nature is the institution of a political body that makes possible a state of peace. Hobbes claims the sovereign power may reside in one person or an assembly, so that a singular type of government is not required to maintain the peace. It is necessary, however, for the sovereign power to possess certain rights to fulfill the task for which it was established.

In a manner similar to the deduction of the laws of nature, Hobbes derives the rights and powers of sovereignty. In this derivation, Hobbes deduces those rights that are necessary for maintaining peace. To give one example, the sovereign power has the right not to be dissolved by its subjects Hobbes derives eleven other rights; if any of the rights are granted away, Hobbes asserts, the commonwealth will revert to a state of war.

The rights, briefly put, entail a defense of political absolutism. In the state of nature, as we have seen, individuals possess the natural right to determine what is good for themselves, i.

As long as individuals make such determinations, Hobbes believes, there will be a state of war. If everyone accepts his political conclusions, Hobbes claims, then disagreement over political and religious matters would come to an end and peace would be firmly established in a commonwealth.

References to Leviathan L are taken from Leviathan , ed. Macpherson, Harmondsworth: Penguin Publishers, Stephen Finn Email: stephen. Philosophical Method: Resolution and Composition Hobbes, like many of his contemporaries, stresses the importance of having a proper philosophical method for attaining knowledge.

Scientific Demonstration It was important for Hobbes not only to acquire knowledge for himself, but also to demonstrate his conclusions to others. Geometry and Physics After presenting his ideas on philosophical method in the first part of De Corpore , Hobbes applies this method to both the abstract world of geometry and to the real and existing world of physical objects. References and Further Reading a.

Secondary Sources Finn, S. London: Continuum Press. Herbert, G. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. Kraynack, R. Sovereignty is owed complete obedience by its subjects. Hobbes describes sovereignty as the soul of the Leviathan. The "natural condition of mankind" is what would exist if there were no government, no civilization, no laws, and no common power to restrain human nature.

The state of nature is a "war of all against all," in which human beings constantly seek to destroy each other in an incessant pursuit for power. Life in the state of nature is "nasty, brutish and short. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Terms Important Terms. Commonwealth A multitude of people who together consent to a sovereign authority, established by contract to have absolute power over them all, for the purpose of providing peace and common defense.

Contract Also called "covenant" or "social contract," contract is the act of giving up certain natural rights and transferring them to someone else, on the condition that everyone else involved in making the contract also simultaneously gives up their rights. First Principles The fundamental and irreducible facts of nature that are established by philosophical definition and upon which philosophical arguments may be built.

Law of Nature A general rule discovered by reason that forbids a person from doing anything destructive to her own life and gives her the right of self-preservation. At least not because the whole conception was made for the wealth of people But in his anthropology there is a difference between the way man should behave and the reality, because in reality moral standards are normally not applied.

The perception of this reality is very similar to what Machiavelli wrote in his Principe. Man is lit up by his darkest side and the whole state conception is based on this gloomy description. By all means Hobbes also sees the positive sides of man but in the end he regards these aspects as too weak. Only the fear of punishment prevents an unhindered spreading of human destruction.

Such a strong state would not be necessary if Hobbes really saw man as a god to his fellow man which proves that, in the end, a negative idea of man predominates.

Since Hobbes does not trust mankind, an authoritative state is needed. We can only speculate on the reasons for this negative evaluation. Hobbes feels that everyone inherently has the same characteristics and abilities. In Chapter 13 of the Leviathan he describes a person as someone who is basically able to triumph over any rival, however strong or intelligent.

In contrast to Aristotle , who looks upon slavery as naturally legitimate, Hobbes feels it is unnatural and "stupid" when people relinquish their freedom and their own decision-making ability. No order is on hand. Just being the physically stronger does not guarantee safety.

Only constant vigilance and an increase of one's own power can maintain a highly fragile system of order. At variance with what Aristotle thinks, cleverness is not a special characteristic. While he accepts the fact that some people are more eloquent and gifted for proceeding on the basis of scientific rules, he describes a form of self-exaltation, which some aristocrats and, in particular, successful people display, as self-complacent bias of their own wisdom.