1. Thomas Hobbes Political Theory
Prepared by Raizza Corpuz

2. Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679) 
Wrote Leviathan, explaining the creation and preservation of an authoritative government  
Within Leviathan, Hobbes discusses the nature of man, the state of nature, the social contract, the laws of nature, political power, liberty and law, and the sovereign power  
b. It is the most logical, systematic treatise in British political theory 
c. Concerns the structure of society.  He argues for a social contract and rule by a sovereign.

3. Hobbes neglected the concept of sovereignty  -He rejects Cartesian dualism and believes in the mortality of soul.
-rejects free will in favor of determinism, a determinism which treats freedom as being able to do what one desires.
-He says that men in a state of nature, that is a state without civil government, are in a war of all against all in which life is hardly worth living.
-The way out of this desperate state is to make a social contract and establish the state to keep order and peace.
-Because of his view of how nasty life is without the state, Hobbes subscribes to a very authoritarian version of the social contract.
-He believed that humans were basically selfish creatures who would do anything to better their position.  -People should not be trusted to make their own decisions.
-despite his distrust of democracy, Hobbes believed that a diverse group of representatives presenting the problems of the common person would prevent a king from being cruel and unfair.

4. The Nature of Man
He believed that the state power was a “mortal god to which we owe under the immortal God our peace and defense” 
Man desires power overall; riches, knowledge and honor are but different forms of power
That which men desire, they are also said to love; and to hate those things for which they aversion. Because the constitution of a man's body is in continual mutation, it is impossible that all the same things should always cause in him the same reaction       
The passions that most of all cause the difference of wit are the desire of power, of riches,  of knowledge, and of honour  

5.     
All of these can be reduced to the first, desire of power, for the rest are but several sorts of       power       
There is a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after       power, that ceases only in death       
This is not only because man wants more and more power, but also because he cannot       assure the power and means to live well      
Kings, whose power is greatest, turn their endeavors to assuring power at home by laws,       and abroad by wars     
   Competition of riches, honor, command, or other power, inclined to contention, enmity,       and war:  because the way of one competitor, for attaining his desire, is to kill, subdue,       supplant, or repel the other 

6. The State of Nature All men are created equal
3 causes of quarrel: Competition, Diffidence (Quietness), Glory 
Defines war as: the time during which man lives without a common power , All other times are peace

7.     Nature made men equal, in the faculties of body and mind; as that though there be found one man stronger in body or quicker in mind than another       
For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination, or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger as himself       
Therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies; and in the way to their end endeavor to destroy, or subdue one  another        And because of this, there is no way for any man to secure himself        There are three principal causes of quarrel        The first is competition        The second is safety        The third is glory or reputation 

8. The Social Contract
All men should be able to live without anything impeding their natural liberties
The right of nature is the liberty each man has to use his own power as he chooses, for       preservation of his own life 
Liberty is the absence of external impediments     
   A Law of Nature is a general rule, found out by reason, by which a man is forbidden to do, which is destructive to his life, or takes away the means of preserving it       
One general rule of reason is "that every man ought to endeavor peace as far as he has  hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use all helps and advantages of war"       
The mutual transferring of rights, is that which men call Contract.

9. Laws of Nature
We are obligated to transfer our natural liberties to our rights  Men perform their covenants made
Men will follow through with their  promises
The laws of nature are immutable and eternal; for injustice, ingratitude, arrogance, pride, iniquity, acceptation of persons and the rest, can never be made lawful;  For it can never be that war shall preserve life, and peace destroy it

10. Political Power
Greatest of human powers is: that which is compounded by the powers of many men 
He states the laws of nature: Justice, Equity, Modesty, Mercy  And do unto others what you would have them do unto you 
He details a sovereign and a commonwealth 
He supports monarchal sovereignty because it keeps society stable

11.        The greatest of human powers, is that which is compounded of the powers of most men, united by consent, in one person, natural, or civil, that has the use of all their powers       depending on his will;  such is the power of the commonwealth       
A commonwealth is when a multitude of men are made one person, when they are by one       man, or one person, represented       
The only way to erect such a common power, as may be able to defend the multitude from       the invasion of foreigners, and the injuries of one another, and thereby secure them, is to confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon an assembly of men       
The commonwealth has power over everything       
A sovereign power, whether monarchy or commonwealth is basically infallible      

12. The care of the sovereign is to make good laws
1. A good law does not mean a just law, for all laws are just 
2.   A good law is one that is needful, for the good of the people        Therefore a law that is not needful is not a good law       
*** A law may be conceived to be good, when it is done for the benefit of the sovereign;  though it be not necessary for the people;
    
The good of the sovereign and people cannot be separated  

13. Liberty and Law
States that subjects should remain faithful until the sovereign loses the power to protect his subjects

14. The Sovereign Power
Sovereign’s power should be supreme  All subjects must follow civil laws  Civil law: Those rules which the commonwealth hath commanded him, by word, writing, to make use at, for the distinction of right, and wrong; that is to say, of what is contrary, and what is not contrary to their rule
Subjects have to follow the rules of the sovereign in order to have a stable society 

15. Leviathan 
The basis for agreement between men was not their common possession of reason  
Any valid explanation of society and government must take account of the real nature of  man       
Man was the creator of his own society       
Man was motivated by his appetites, desires, fear, and self-interest, seeking pleasure and       avoiding pain       
Since the powers men had were essentially equal, there was a natural strife as men sought       to satisfy their desires       

16. To escape this intolerable situation, where every individual lived for himself, and to obtain peace and order, men agreed to form a society       
Men surrendered their rights of self-assertion in order to set up a power capable of enforcing its authority      
  They gave up their rights to defend themselves, made a social contract and created a sovereign order was secured by this sovereign 

17. Summary English Philosopher
Influenced by the English Civil War & Charles I Execution
1651 – Published Leviathan (Sea Monster)
Argued that natural law made absolute monarchy the best form of gov’t
Humans were natural selfish and violent
People couldn’t make their own decisions
If they did life would be “nasty, brutish, and short”
Only a strong ruler (Leviathan) could give people direction