|
|
||
|
Vol. 8 4 / 2002 |
|
|
|
||
Sideburns McGee
According
to Thomas Hobbes, man is constantly at war until he becomes part of a society
that is governed by either a single leader or group of leaders, which adheres
to a set of laws. In nature, man's life
according to Hobbes is, "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short (Hobbes
76). Men are essentially the same in
mind and body and so too, are their desires.
In a state of nature, the desires of individuals will conflict since the
decision over who gets something causes people to become enemies.
Hobbes
identifies three causes of quarrel in the nature of man: competition,
diffidence, and glory (Hobbes 76).
Competition can exist for any number of things; resources, tools, and
affections of the opposite sex are just a few. Diffidence causes individuals to invade others
to prevent possible enemies from doing the same thing to them. Individuals invade for glory so they can
build a reputation for themselves. All
of these causes exist in what Hobbes calls war.
This does not necessarily refer to violent battles but a condition in
which every man must fend for himself.
In such a state, nothing is unjust because notions of right and wrong
have no place. There is no common power
and no law. Hobbes argues that justice
and injustice are "qualities related to men in society, not in solitude
(Hobbes 78)."
The
desire for necessities of life as well as the fear of death drives people
towards peace and forming a society is the answer. Forming together gives individuals security
and attitudes and desires become more directed towards the group rather than
the individual. Hobbes believes power
should be granted to one person or at least an assembly of people. The voice of
the
leader should reflect the will of the
majority of those being governed. The
leader gains sovereign power over his subjects and is granted almost complete
control. Hobbes points out two ways of
attaining sovereign power. Natural force
is when a man makes his children obey him.
The other way is more related to society, where groups of people submit
to one person or a smaller group voluntarily.
Hobbes
points out that in a society, people must support the decisions of those in
charge regardless of whether they agree or not.
The actions of the government are to be treated as the actions of those
governed. When a sovereign is declared,
those who dissented must now consent with the majority or be "justly
destroyed by the rest (Hobbes 112)."
Clearly, this calls for strict conformity to the law - something not
seen in nature. Hobbes asserts that laws
are just words unless defying them results in
punishment.
Given
the alleged state of nature and its remedy, one has to make a decision, which
is not as simple as it appears. On the
one hand, the state of nature allows free will at the expense of constant
competition from enemies. Living in a
society under a sovereign provides protection from invaders but calls for
strict adherence to laws and goes beyond mere consent.
Personal
freedom and personal safety are to be weighed by the individual and no one
choice offers a simple solution.