Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes Essay - 589 Words

Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes In 1651, Thomas Hobbes published Leviathan, his famous work that detailed his physicalist outlook and his concept of the value of a social contract for a peaceful society and the nature of man. His major belief was that man is a beast that defines his identity through the need to be controlled under some kind of external, oppressive power. This essay will explain Hobbes’ views of man’s identity in the society and will demonstrate how it was mirrored in the political structure. In Hobbes’ work, he explained that if individuals within a society continually lived by their own self-interests, they would continue to hurt each other and be stuck in a state of war, or chaos. If the members of society were†¦show more content†¦In this state of war, says Hobbes, the continual fear of our neighbors would reduce our lives to: solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. It would be solitary because we have no reason to trust anyone else; poor because we have no possible benefit of commerce in such war; nasty because we are continually threatened and fearful of one another; brutish because we only have time to act on our passions like our fellow animals; and short because war of all against all results in many untimely and violent deaths.1 This incredibly pessimistic account of the nature of human life, Hobbes says, is born in part by the actions of all of us, when, without any thinking, we arm ourselves and lock our doors. Does not there as much accuse of mankind by his actions as I do with my words? But neither of us accuse man’s nature in it. The desires and the other passions of man, are in themselves no sin. No more are the actions, that proceed from those passions, till they know a law that forbids them: which till laws be made they cannot know: nor can a law be made, till they have agreed upon the person to make it.2 Accordingly, by arming ourselves and locking our doors, Hobbes’ political recommendations reflect the way we live. In today’s society it seems that no one believes in anything but money, which is leaving us morally bankrupt. People do what meets their own self-interests. This moral disintegration pulses throughShow MoreRelatedThomas Hobbes Leviathan801 Words   |  4 PagesThe true essence of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan is a well-constructed story that examines human nature. Hobbes’ introduces Leviathan during a chaotic period filled with death and a voyage of human expansion, which leads to the creation of a logical and sustainable society. This society is the commonwealth and led by a sovereign. Upon first analysis, Hobbes’ explanation of the alteration to the commonwealth is questionable. Some weaknesses in Hobbes’ Leviathan can be easily found: the inconsistency ofRead MoreThe Leviathan By Thomas Hobbes1890 Words   |  8 PagesIn The L eviathan, Thomas Hobbes presents a highly cynical and thoroughly negative view of the natural condition of human beings. Hobbes understands humans as inherently suspicious and fearful of one another. Left to our natural state, people prove incapable of harmonious coexistence and instead aggressively pursue their own security. To achieve this end, men will belligerently defend what they view as theirs and endeavor to dominate as many others as possible. This understanding of security, howeverRead MoreThe Leviathan By Thomas Hobbes849 Words   |  4 PagesIn the text, the Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes conceives of the state as one ultimate political authority in which he calls the â€Å"sovereign†. 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The frontispiece depicts a crowned figure grasping a crosier and a sword. This figure, or ‘Leviathan’, represents the all-powerful, comprehens ive state. When looked at closely, the torso and arms of the figure are made up of hundreds of individual people, whoRead MoreThomas Hobbes Leviathan Essay1029 Words   |  5 Pages A state of nature is a hypothetical state of being within a society that defines such a way that particular community behaves within itself. English philosopher Thomas Hobbes proclaimed that, â€Å"A state of nature is a state of war.† By this, Hobbes means that every human being, given the absence of government or a contract between other members of a society, would act in a war-like state in which each man would be motivated by desires derived solely with the intention of maximizing his own utilityRead MoreThomas Hobbes And Lockes Leviathan1309 Words   |  6 Pagesof humans and consequently explained the best method of governing them. Published in 1651, Thomas Hobbes’s controversial Leviathan details a rather dystopian view of humanity’s natural state and advocates for an absolu tist government. Nearly 40 years later, John Locke published The Second Treatise of Government, detailing his own views, many of which sharply contrast with those of Hobbes. Despite both Hobbes and Locke arguing that all men are equal in the state of nature, Hobbes’s belief that thisRead MoreAnalysis Of Thomas Hobbes Leviathan1008 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish philosopher, Thomas Hobbes’, leviathan consists of three parts. The second part, titled â€Å"Of Commonwealth†, describes a government Hobbes refers to as the â€Å"leviathan†; which is simply defined as â€Å"something that is very large and powerful†. Biblically, â€Å"leviathan† is defined negatively, as a devilish sea monster. On the contrary, Hobbes uses the term to portray his version of the ideal government. Hobbes emphasizes the concept of human nature. He explains that there are both negative and