Hobbes A version of the social contract Thomas

Hobbes A version of the social contract

Thomas Hobbes (1588 -1679) Lived through the English civil War How might that have affected his view of human nature? Hobbes thought people are motivated by: Self interest Power Self-preservation What kind of view is this?

The State of Nature Before the civilising effects of government and society we lived in a ‘state of nature’ What do you think this was like? No laws No government Just competing individuals

Would this be a good world to live in? Is freedom doing whatever you like?

Wouldn’t it lead to a war of each against all? Hobbes thought so. Would anyone feel safe? Hobbes thought not.

“Life in the state of nature would be nasty, brutish and short…” - Thomas Hobbes

So we need security. We need a social contract.

We need ‘Leviathan’, the mighty Sovereign

The Contract We want peace and security We make a contract to live under the rule of a strong sovereign Any kind of sovereign is better than the state of nature So when the bad guys come to town…

Support the Law! And it will keep you safe to live your life….

What do you think? Discussion points: Are there any examples from today’s world, or the recent past, that would support Hobbes’ views? What are the strong points of his view? What are the possible criticisms of Hobbes’ view? What do you think of it, overall?

Key terms State of nature Social contract Sovereign Leviathan