The Leviathan by Thomas

Hobbes
Aaron M. Dimaguila
BSE Social Studies II
Introduction
● The book of Leviathan presents a paradigm shift in how we understand
politics. Hobbes deployed methods from the physical sciences to develop a
new materialist theory such as the State of Nature and Social Contract.
● Hobbes ambition is to better understand human beings through science so
that we can put an end to war entirely and create a more peaceful and
cooperative society.
● Hobbes analysis of what he calls man in the abstract is an attempt to
demonstrate the basic forces and drive that motivates human behavior.
Hobbes’ Psychology
● Hobbes stated the people have a bodily motion that push them in two main
direction; appetite and aversion. Appetite and Aversion are the driving forces
of human behavior.
● Hobbes describes that human beings describes thing if something is good if it
benefits them and evil if it is not.
● Hobbes describes the will to survive as the principle of self-preservation.
● According to Hobbes, “The similarities of thoughts and passions of one man
tell us about the another, and whom so ever looks into himself and considers
what he thinks, reasons, hopes, and fears. He shall thereby read and know
the thoughts and passions off all other men.
State of Nature
● According to Hobbes “the state of nature could be a condition of war of all
against all in which life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutal, and short.
● It is concerned about how people would act in the absence of the common
power.
● Hobbes’ argument about obedience to state authorities starts with us
imagining what it would be like for a people to be in a hypothetical state of
nature.
● Hobbes thinks that because of our fundamental constitution, human being
won't be able to cooperate with each other in the absence of common power
or the state of authority.
Hobbes outline on the rights of nature and the laws of nature

● Laws of nature, means some kind of objective that is innate to nature, the
modern law of tradition that Hobbes was a part of tended to emphasize our
objective rights that were based in our will.
● Hobbes calls the right of nature is simply our right for self-preservation, which
describes as the capacity to use any means necessary to defend our live.
● For Hobbes laws of nature which is different from rights of nature; laws of
nature are discoverable through our reason which means the results should
be universal and that everyone correctly reasoning should come to the same
conclusion.
● The first law of nature is that every person should seek peace. Although we
have a fundamental right to defend ourselves, we should where possible try to
live peacefully alongside other and create a cooperative society.
● The second law of nature is to secure peace we should be ready to lay down
our right to do whatever we want. We should agree that to live alongside
others our rights are necessarily going to be limited by this.
● There are many laws of nature listed by Hobbes, he says that the some of
them can be captured in the idea that we should treat others what way we
would like to be treated ourselves.
● We should try others cooperate with the where possible and work towards
forming a good society.
● Hobbes think that you need a common power to enforce contracts and
without this mechanism of enforcement a contract will simply be void.
● Hobbes thought that it would be so important to exit the state of nature by
creating a contract and and entering a political society.
Ideal Society
● According to Hobbes “Covenants without the sword are buzzwords and have
no strength to secure us at all. Therefore the laws of nature notwithstanding if
there will be no power erected or not great enough for our security. Everyman
will and may lawfully rely on his own strength against all other men.
● Hobbe think that we will be inclined to follow the laws of nature which is to say
seek peace but without a common power to enforce, we can’t be sure that our
security will be guaranteed.
● If people could agree to get along and cooperate without a common power then
there wouldn’t be any need for politics at all.
● People could just leave without non coercive society through peaceful
cooperation with each other.
Social Contract
● Hobbes solutions is that all individuals should come together to sign a
contract, create a political society, and live together under the enforcement of
the laws of sovereign.
● This would involve the submitting of their will to the judgement of the
sovereign and renouncing their right to decide on what would be a threat to
the political community.
● As a result of this contract the multitude of the individuals come together in
the artificial person of the state or commonwealth
Ideal Ruler
● Hobbes thinks that the sovereign should have near absolute power and could do
whatever they like. Including imprisoning people and putting them to death if
necessary.
● The purpose of the sovereign is to maintain security of the political community. In
order to this, the sovereign has a wide range of powers including making peace and
war, appointing government ministers, deciding of questions of education, and even
banning certain literature if it deems necessary ones.
● One aspect that makes its power so extensive is that sovereign is the only one who
decides on what means are necessary in order to achieve the end of securing
peace and security. This capacity of the sovereign to decide on whats a threat to
community, allows it wide ranging power over the individual subjects.
Hobbes distinguishes sovereignty by Institution and Acquisition

● In the first case, people will come together and make a contract to decide on
a new sovereign, while in the second case, people could be conquered by a
foreign power and force to submit to the will of the new sovereign.
● It seems to be odd, Hobbes theory of the social contract seemed to rely on
the consent of the individuals to the contract, if you’re conquered by another
power this seems like you're not consenting to the new contract.
● Hobbes answer to this is that when your own sovereign is killed or destroyed,
then you’re thrown back into the state of nature.
● When the new sovereign comes along, they’re conditioned to spare your life
is that you submit to their will.
Ideal Government
● Hobbes thought that subjects must obey the law of the sovereign, but aside
from disobeying the laws the subject can do whatever they want.
● The law set out by the sovereign only prohibit certain actions that they deem a
problem for peace and security, anything else is permitted
● But if the sovereign has the power to put you to death if necessary, this
doesn’t to be different to your situation in the state of nature.
● Hobbes stated that the right to defend yourself for being killed is inalienable
and so even exist inside a commonwealth. As a result, subjects aren’t obliged
to kill or injure themselves even if commanded to do so by the sovereign.
● The sovereign can justly put you to death if you’re deemed threat to the
commonwealth. But Hobbes means that you can expect any individuals to go
against their own instincts for self preservation
● Unfortunately for the specific individual involve, they have decided to create a
common power with their capacity on who’s the threat to the community and
hence who might be put to death.
● However, despite the enormous power that the sovereign has some
interpreters have argued that Hobbes include something approaching a right
of resistance in certain circumstances.
Hobbes imply that it might be okay to disobey certain commands

● First, Hobbes stated that individuals can disobey dangerous command or

dishonorable officers so long as this disobedience doesn’t threaten the overall
safety of the commonwealth.
● Second, an enlisted soldier can run away from battle but this is only gotta be
the case if they didn’t enlist themselves, if they are not a mercenary, and if the
survival of state itself isn’t at steak.
● Third, to resist a sovereign is to commit of an act of injustice. But once a
group of man has become resistant to join this group is no longer to commit of
an act of injustice.
That’s all! Thankyou ♥