Hobbes’ political principles are noted in his conception of human nature and are constructed around the idea of social and political order. Accordingly, he underscores how human beings should live peacefully under the security provided by a sovereign power (Leviathan) and avoid conflict that could upend the state of nature.
Thomas Hobbes’ novel titled Leviathan draws inspiration from a sea monster by the same name to explain the relationship between citizens and their government. In what he described as the social contract theory, which is a defacto agreement between the rule and the ruled where the ruler provides general security from the anarchy that characterizes human life. Therefore, Thomas Hobbes’ political theory and, to a large extent, moral leanings are built around the idea of a social contract between the rule and the ruled. He does not believe in divine rights but holds that an all-powerful Leviathan provides stability and security for the ruled, and they surrender some of their rights because it generally has a monopoly on instruments of violence. Thus,
Hobbes argues that human nature is bad and egocentric because human beings are naturally inclined to seek their own glory, dominate others, and seek more power. These selfish interests, he notes, are driven by a strong desire for self-preservation to stay alive as they can sustain themselves. To succeed in staying alive, human beings use all means available to them, including but not limited to war, because self-preservation is a universal right. Since human beings are generally free to do what they want to stay alive, it creates a sense of chaos and conflict. So, in a state of total liberty where no state or sovereign power exists, a state of constant conflict and chaos characterizes the relationship between people (Hobbes, 84). To eliminate this general state of chaos and conflict, Hobbes proposes a social contract with a sovereign where citizens surrender their universal rights of self-preservation for guarantees of peace, tranquility, and social and political order.
The sovereign which he describes as a Leviathan is all-powerful and has a monopoly on instruments of violence. Consequently, any challenge to the sovereign is dealt with ruthlessly to maintain peace and calm for citizens who have surrendered their universal right of self-preservation. Thus, under the Leviathan certain rules and laws such as the fundamental law of nature which holds that everyone should endeavor at obtaining peace for as long as there is the hope of obtaining it must be obeyed (Hobbes, 85). However, for the sovereign to be able to enforce this rule, a convent must exist and men must abide by the terms of the covenant or the law is void and the natural state of conflict exists. The covenant according to Hobbes is a social contract where a sovereign provides equal rights among all men and people can decide what is morally wrong and what is right together. In essence, while the social contract theory limits what a free man in the truest sense of the word free can do, it creates cooperation between people which is a prerequisite for peaceful co-existence.
The state of nature according to Hobbes is characterized by war by every man against all other men. It is a state mainly driven by human’s inclination to dominate others and gain the power to ensure their self-preservation. The state of nature assumes men have equal motivation to seek the destruction of others and so even the weakest can kill the strongest (Hobbes, 83). In such circumstances, each man will long for more power and they will do anything not to lose it when they gain their desired state. Hobbes maintains that the quest for power in the state of nature is not enough. Those who are successful in obtaining it will want others to recognize their power to be effective. However, if they try to impose their will on others using their recently gained power, it will not last long. The equality between men will force equilibrium and people will find a way to get themselves under the thumb of the powerful (Hobbes, 82). Because power is not useful in the hands of a man, Hobbes proposes the creation of an all-powerful Leviathan that will guarantee security for all and demand certain rights be given up.
Therefore, the nature of human beings, or what Hobbes describes as the state of nature forces him to argue in favor of the creation of a sovereign which he describes as a Leviathan. The sovereign pays homage to a Greek mythology creature by the same name because according to him, the sovereign can protect citizens from external and internal threats. This protection is possible because of the existence of a social contract between the sovereign and the citizens. Under the contract, citizens give up their universal right of self-preservation, and the sovereign guarantees peace and prosperity. Due to a monopoly on the instruments of violence, the sovereign can maintain peace. Thus, Hobbes’ political principles of the pursuit of peace, welfare for all, the pursuit of justice, and satisfaction with life are pegged on the existence of a social contract between the Leviathan and the citizens.
Work Cited
Hobbes Thomas. Leviathan. Mint Editions; 2021.