Hobbes V State of Nature Essay - 1306 Words

Thomas Hobbes claims that in a state of nature, people are constantly fighting against each other, and the only way to overcome this is to form a commonwealth. He does this by going over the conditions that describe a state of nature, certain rights that all people have in nature, and the method for transferring these rights, by way of a pledge to a sovereign, whether it to the one person, or a group of people in order to achieve a state of peace. While Hobbes makes a very clear argument, it does contain some faults when examined. Hobbes addresses these issues and tries to convince the reader that a commonwealth is the only way a society will experience lasting peace. Firstly, Hobbes argues that when there is no government or civil†¦show more content†¦I believe like Hobbes that living in this state of nature has a number of consequences. Nothing in the world can be considered as essentially good or evil. So in a state of nature right and wrong is simply what is right or wrong to each individual person, since there is no government or laws that tell us right from wrong. The only way people can make promises with each other is by way of contract, which is a mutual exchanging of rights. There is a special circumstance of this contract called a covenant. A covenant is a contract in which one person will give up one of his rights to somebody under the condition that the other person’s right will be given to him at a later time. Covenants are the basis of all laws, rights to property, and most aspects in a civil society. However, according to Hobbes, all covenants between people that live in a state of nature are objectionable because à ¢â‚¬Å"He that performs the first has no assurance the other will perform after.† (Leviathan pg.115) This basically means that because people aren’t bound by any laws, the second person doesn’t have any incentive to keep his end of the covenant, as he won’t be punished for going back against his word. Hobbes’ prospects for humanityShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of V For Vendetta By Allan Moore And The Norsefire Government1503 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosopher Thomas Hobbes’ had this sort of thought though- a supreme leader was the best way to create absolute sovereign and remove civil war within society. Hobbes believed that if citizens created a social contract, it would be the ideal way for citizens to live within peace and adhere to the law of nature. 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