Analysis Of Thomas Hobbes s Leviathan - 1891 Words

In his book, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes writes that human beings’ state of nature is one of constant war. He claims that man’s fundamental natural instinct is that of self-preservation, and that this leads to a violent, â€Å"every man for himself† sort of world in which there are no rules, no morals, and all persons have the freedom to do as they please. In other words: our state of nature is anarchy, rampant with chaos and conflict. The only viable alternative to this, Hobbes argues, is voluntary subjection and obedience to an absolute sovereign. An absolute sovereign would, ideally, exchange the people’s unrestrained freedoms for security, order, and peace. Anything less than an absolute ruler, he believes, would collapse and slip back into†¦show more content†¦Hobbes outlines here what he thinks of our state of nature—and while it does seem rather pessimistic, his claims are likely. As long as each person individually decides what is nece ssary for their own survival, cooperation seems impossible and such coordinated undertakings, like organizing industry or establishing a common language, are scant. So what can be found in the state of nature? Hobbes outlines a few, and I will try to discuss them below. The first thing is scarcity. The term scarcity implies the falling out between supply and demand: an insufficient supply of the things people typically want, or alternatively, a collective demand for certain desirable things that outstrips the overall supply. This is the basis of the aforementioned conflict and competition in the state of nature. â€Å"If any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies.† Desire for the ability to secure future desire satisfaction, in conditions of scarcity, especially puts people’s interests at odds—often creating hostile competition. Another feature, which has already been somewhat mentioned, is egoism—individuals looking out for only their own personal preservation. This can be labeled as mere