The College of Maasin

Nisi Dominus Frustra

Maasin City
Modern Political Theory 8.6.12
Thomas Hobbes (e!iathan"
1. Hobbes disc#sses a state of nat#re $here there is no
go!ernment. %hat is this state of nat#re li&e'
2. (re there any la$s in the state of nat#re' )f so* $ho
enforces them'
+ %hy are ,eo,le moti!ated to lea!e the state of nat#re'
-. %hat moti!ates ,eo,le to adhere to rather than to !iolate
the co!enant of ,eace that they ma&e in lea!ing the state
of nat#re and forming a common$ealth'
.. Ho$ does Hobbes define /#stice'
6. Comment on the ff.0 )t is better to be /#st $hile
a,,earing #n/#st* or to be #n/#st $hile a,,earing /#st'
1. %ho gets to be the so!ereign' )n other $ords* ho$ is the
so!ereign chosen' %hat ma&es someone deser!ing of being
so!ereign'
8. 23,lain the logic of this ,assage0 $hy does the fact that
$ar cannot ,reser!e life lead to the concl#sion that the
la$s of nat#re are imm#table' (nd do yo# agree that there
are imm#table and eternal la$s of nat#re'
4. Hobbes arg#es that $e consent to li!e #nder the r#le of a
so!ereign (be it a single man* or an assembly". 5#t $hat if
someone !otes against the ,erson or assembly* and $o#ld ha!e
,referred another r#ler6m#st that ,erson obey the so!ereign'
17. Hobbes $rites that no la$ can be #n/#st. 23,lain.
11. %hy does Hobbes o,,ose a se,aration of ,o$ers of the
sort that $e ha!e in o#r constit#tional system6 se,arate
e3ec#ti!e* legislati!e* and /#diciary branches'
12. Hobbes says the so!ereign can be one man (monarchy" or
an assembly of men (aristocracy or democracy". %hich system
does he ,refer* and $hy'
1+. )f a monarch dies before anno#ncing his s#ccessor* $ho
s#cceeds him* according to Hobbes'
1-. Hobbes says that the so!ereign of a common$ealth is not
s#b/ect to the ci!il la$s. %hy not'
1.. Hobbes $rites that $e ne!er gi!e a right to another to
lay !iolent hands #,on #s. )f $e don8t do this* then ho$ is
the state a#thori9ed in ,#nishing #s' %hat is Hobbes8 !ie$
to$ards ca,ital ,#nishment'