Hobbes, "Leviathan"

Thomas Hobbes, a selection from Leviathan

Thesis: Influenced by new, scientific perspectives, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes defends absolutism from a secular perspective by arguing that a central authority is necessary to maintain order and stability.

Background:

Previously it had been argued that the natural state of politics was orderly

The English Civil War tested absolutism

Previous defenders of absolutism had used religious justification

Scientific discoveries suggested a more rational, secular universe

Hobbes used the same rational methods, and applied them to government

Hobbes’ cynicism:

Hobbes believed human nature to be naturally chaotic, but in a rational way—we work rationally to fulfill selfish desires (“Competition, Diffedence, and Glory”)

He believed that, in the absence of government, total war would occur

A Naturalist Perspective:

The ideal state described by Hobbes would be absolutist, but perfectly rational

He proposes the idea of a social contract or “covenant” which serves all interests

Only a powerful authority can stop the state of nature

Hobbes’ ideas are not grounded in an arbitrary or religious distinction

Instead, he arrives at the absolutist solution by carefully weighing the motivations and interests of all parties involved