Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Thomas Hobbes, Power Law, Siata
19 Nov 2015
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The state of nature: hobbes, locke, and rousseau. We can learn whether or not the state is justified by asking what life would be like without it. Think a state of nature would be the worst possible condition for humans imaginable. Hobbes believes that civil war would ultimately ensue in a state of nature. In this condition, human beings would be led to a war of all against all. Human beings seek felicity and power, are predominantly self regarding, status- conscious, and equally vulnerable to one another. This, along with scarcity and uncertainty, would lead individuals to attack others before others attack them. People would attack for gain, safety, and reputation. Before answering, we should be clear about what hobbes means by the terms justice", The laws of nature are suggested by reason, and following them can lead human beings out of the state of war and into the peaceful, ordered world governed by a sovereign.
