Introduction
In the works of the well-known philosopher Hobbs, people see an egoistic ethical theory that implies selfishness, lack of empathy, and conscience in our society. Indeed, many schools of thought have argued that people are inherently “evil” or, in some sense, naturally, human beings do not have fairness or a universal perception of values and morals. As an empiricist, the author believes in the reality of a material world, so he gains knowledge and forms his theories by observing the psychological egoism of our flawed society. In this essay, it is crucial to explore Hobbes’ viewpoint on authority and the general state of society without strong leadership.
Main body
The philosopher argues that in nature, humans do not have any kind of constructed government, so all the authorities and public figures are made artificially by people. Moreover, he does not believe that any monarchs have a right to control the nations because of their godly presence. However, the philosopher explains that there is no natural source of power by the fact that everyone is equal in their ability to endanger someone else’s life (Williams, 2003).
Therefore, the philosopher finds it essential to establish some sort of government and powerful authority because, in his opinion, human beings are not able to exist without any regulation and control. The reason for this vulnerability is inherently selfish human nature – Hobbes argues that without a ruling system, people will be violent, cruel, and possessive in order to satisfy themselves. He mentions three main aspects of the egoistic psyche of our society: diffidence – fear of not being safe, constant self-protection, and the need for glory and prestige, among others. Indeed, everyone is more or less guilty of these characteristics, so Hobbes justifies the need for the strong presence of artificial authority.
Conclusion
To sum up, what has been mentioned before, Hobbes created his own empirical theory based on selfish human nature and egoistic psychology. This worldview is completely opposite to the pursuit of virtue mentioned by Socrates because he believes that deep down, all people are essentially good and moral, whereas Hobbes finds humanity to be rather unfair. While Socrates believes in constant self-improvement for the sake of finding inner morality, Hobbes claims it is important to make a hierarchy of people in order to make society functional.
References
Williams, G. (2003). Hobbes: Moral and political philosophy.