Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan Has Lessons For You About Politics
Even if you are not familiar with most philosophers, you will probably recognize the name Thomas Hobbes. Ranking among the top political philosophers, Hobbes' name often appears in school textbooks for students in philosophy, science, and politics. His most well-known work, Leviathan, is a philosophical masterpiece. The book has several chapters, focusing on human nature and the state. It is because of Leviathan that some people accuse Hobbes of being authoritarian. However, this really oversimplifies his philosophy. There is value in Leviathan that pertains to current politics.
Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan
| Section | Summary |
|---|---|
| Historical Influences | Hobbes's philosophical outlook was heavily influenced by his experiences during the Thirty Year's War. |
| What is Hobbes' Leviathan? | Hobbes creates a guide for how a society is meant to exist peacefully. |
| The State Of Nature | The state of human nature is inherently chaotic and violent. |
| Human Nature | Human beings value their self-interest over everything else. |
| The Social Contract | A powerful authority is needed to ensure law and order and establish a safe society. |
| Leviathan As A State | A state with absolute and unquestioned authority is the ideal and suppresses the state of nature. |
| Do We Really Need A State? | Counter arguments towards Hobbes's position. |
| Lessons About Politics | Where do we see Hobbes's ideal society in the modern world? |
Historical Influences
The turmoil of 17th-century England provided the breeding ground for Hobbes’ philosophy. Hobbes was alive during the Thirty Years War which raged from 1618 to 1648. Various factors led to the Thirty Years War, including religious, territorial, dynastic, and commercial rivalries. Through this time, violence and war spread over most of Europe. Hobbes also lived through the civil war in England, a period of tremendous political strife. Spending so much time around conflict, Hobbes naturally wrote about governmental control. In his work, he sought the recipe for a peaceful society.
What is Hobbes' Leviathan?
Leviathan is undoubtedly Hobbes' most influential work. Originally published in 1641, the book develops the philosophy Hobbes put forward in his earlier work, Concerning the Citizen. While Leviathan has many lessons, it was first and foremost intended as a guidebook for how a society can exist peacefully.
In Leviathan, Hobbes' overarching argument is that for a society to be peaceful, an all-powerful state is necessary. This government will keep order through force. The idea that a strong government is necessary to maintain peace is based on Hobbes’ theories on the state of nature and social contract.
The State of Nature
According to Hobbes, one of the reasons a strong government presence is necessary is because of humans in the state of nature. The state of nature is a situation where there is no government, no laws, or no real societal structures like we have now. Hobbes's view on humans in this situation is bleak and best summarized by his famous quote:
“Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Hobbes believed that life in a state of nature is so terrifying because there were no restrictions on people’s opportunities. For example, two people may want the same resources, and they would have no choice but to fight over them. In this sense, both sides are "equal" in that one never has absolute force over the other. In today’s world, if your neighbor has an apple tree and you want their apples, you risk facing consequences from law enforcement for stealing. Types of conflict where two parties want to gain the same thing is only one way Hobbes believed the state of nature could lead to trouble. Conflict in the state of nature might also arise when someone’s safety feels threatened or when a person’s reputation is at stake.
The idea of man in a state of nature is now a popular idea in philosophy, especially with philosophers concerned with forming a social contract, such as Jean Jacque Rosseau and John Locke. Many of their ideas rest on assumptions they make about human nature
Human Nature
According to Hobbes, the state of people is constantly fraught with war. By this, Hobbes did not mean literal war. This idea applies to all people, even in a peaceful nation. Hobbes argued everywhere, people take precautions to protect themselves from other people. These precautions include everything from locking the door to not posting credit card information online. In other words, fear is what primarily guides the behavior of people in a social setting.
Some people interpret Hobbes' view of human nature as evil, however, this is a misconception. In a lawless society, Hobbes points out that what people are doing is not evil by today’s standards because society is not set up the same. There are no laws or justice system in the state of nature. The majority of people in this scenario are not motivated by malevolence but by self-interest. This self-interest is not something objectively evil.
The Social Contract
Since self-interest motivates people, Hobbes believed without the help of a powerful authority figure, people would resort to chaos and conflict. In order to protect everyone’s safety, Hobbes said we need a social contract. The idea of a social contract is that citizens surrender certain freedoms to get protection from the institutions of power. In a Commonwealth, many people consent to have their freedom waved for an absolute power in exchange for safety.
Hobbes' social contract has always been a topic of controversy, with some accusing him of advocating for authoritarianism and tyranny. In his theses, he is rejecting a long-held belief by classic Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, who claim that humans are naturally suited to political life. At the time he wrote this, this idea was very controversial.
Leviathan as a State
Hobbes’ perfect state is a commonwealth governed by a sovereign power that has absolute authority. This way, they can protect and ensure the safety of the people. In his book, Hobbes describes that this commonwealth would take the shape of the mythical sea monster, the “Leviathan.” This creature has the sovereign ruler as its head and the body is actually the body of people in the Commonwealth.
Creating the leviathan as the system of government in a society is what Hobbes sees as the best way forward to peace. The Leviathan erased the fear that governs every day life and leads to conflict.
Do We Really Need A State?
Some people argue that we can be friends on our own and do not need to be in a state. For example, we can make a contract between neighbors, friends, and family. However, Hobbes believed these contracts were riskier since they relied on trust. In contracts where there is no third party, you have to rely on trust that the other person will hold up their end of the deal. To ensure the contract was trustworthy, people might bring in a guarantor. This third party might even be given certain rights to regulate the contract properly. For Hobbes, the best guarantor was the state. The state, as the ultimate guarantor with the right to exert violence, is best suited to enforce a contract.
In Hobbes' view, most people allow themselves to be governed because they are scared of a state of nature. This fear is a motive for them to sacrifice their freedom in the name of safety.
Final Thoughts
Hobbes lived in a very different period in Europe, where there was nearly constant conflict. In the modern day, the threat of a state of nature is overshadowed by fears of economic collapse and terrorism. Politicians often encourage people’s fears, more often than not, using it to their advantage. Is it ethical for politicians to use fear to their advantage this way? Moreover. should fears other than the fear of a state of nature be the basis for someone’s power? These are questions that Hobbes did not answer. However, this continued discussion proves the legacy and impact that his work, Leviathan, continues to exert today.
