Thomas Hobbes: State of nature and social contract Flashcards
What is Thomas Hobbes Background
English philosopher at Oxford University
Greatest work: Leviathan
Defensor of absolutism - the political doctrine and practice of unlimited centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch or dictator.
His view on human nature
Humans have a natural appetite for power, so they seek to dominate others and demand their respect (competition for glory).
Humans are self-interested and mistrust other.
Opposites - Self-preservation <-> Natural apetite for power.
The optimal goal is happiness - “Life is the ultimate good, while happiness is the greatest good”.
But happiness equals satisfaction, well-being, honor, and power. Humans will never be satisfied, therefore men are insatiable.
What is the state of nature?
The natural condition of humankind is to be in a state of war, because individuals are in a “war of all against all”.
Everybody is selfish and wants to satisfy their own needs.
Irrational
Involuntary
No private property.
There is no justice and order in the state of nature. No soveignty.
What is the civil state?
Civil state
- The leviathan, absolute and sovreign power. They will lead the people and the people will have to live after their laws.
- The state is created to put a limit to human ambition, so people can live in satisfaction.
Ex in the state of nature, one could steal another man’s cow, but in the civil state, he can´t, because he will get punished. Rights will now protect the citizen.
What are the state implication for soverignty, justice and order?
Justice and order
- Superior power
Sovereignty
- Divided = chaos
- Given to one unique organism = order
True sovereignty can´t be divided into several organs. If it does, it would fall apart and not be sovereign.
How is Thomas Hobbes not inline with the greek philosophers?
He rejects 2 fundamental thesis
- The thesis of corrupted and not corrupted governments.
- Mixed governments create instability rather than stability.
He only wants sovereignty = absolute power for one individual. More individuals will try to benefit their own self-interest.
What does Thomas Hobbes means, when he argues, that there are no bad governments?
There are no different states, but different opinions.
But the governments have to be of one individual with complete power (In Thomas’s time there were mostly monarchies). Thomas was in favor of monarchy.
The power of the state has no limits
- But if the king has limited power over the tyrant, he is no true king. If his power has no limits, then it is impossible to distinguish him from the tyrant.
When the power is conquered it becomes legitimate.
- Contractual legitimacy -> Recognition of power in exchange of life.
What is the pact?
These two are alike. The pact creates legitimaticy.
Pact between the conqueror and the defeated = Pact that is done when going from the state of nature to the civil state.
We go from the true nature of the state, with war, mistrust and self-interest between the conqueror and his opponent too a civil state, because of the pact
The pact between the two parts makes the transition from the state of nature to a civil state possible.
