🤛Social Contract Unit 3 – Hobbes: Leviathan and Absolute Power

Who Was Thomas Hobbes?

• English philosopher, political theorist, and historian born in 1588 and died in 1679
• Best known for his influential work "Leviathan" published in 1651 which laid the foundation for social contract theory
• Argued for a strong central government and absolute sovereignty as the only way to avoid the evils of civil war and anarchy
• Studied at Oxford University and later worked as a tutor for the Cavendish family
• Fled to France during the English Civil War due to his royalist sympathies and associations
• Returned to England after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 and continued his philosophical and political writings
• Also made significant contributions to other fields such as geometry, physics, ethics, and psychology

The Historical Context of Leviathan

• Published in 1651 during the aftermath of the English Civil War (1642-1651) which saw the overthrow and execution of King Charles I
• Hobbes witnessed firsthand the chaos, violence, and instability caused by the breakdown of political authority and social order
• The war was fought between the Royalists who supported the king's absolute power and the Parliamentarians who sought to limit it
• The conflict was also shaped by religious tensions between the Church of England and Puritan dissenters
• Hobbes aimed to provide a philosophical justification for a strong sovereign power that could maintain peace and security
• Drew upon the scientific and mathematical advances of his time to develop a mechanistic view of human nature and society
• Influenced by the works of other thinkers such as Galileo, Descartes, and Machiavelli

Key Concepts in Hobbes' Philosophy

• Materialism holds that all reality, including human thoughts and desires, can be explained in terms of matter and motion
• Mechanism views humans and society as complex machines governed by universal laws of cause and effect
• Egoism asserts that all human actions are ultimately motivated by self-interest and the desire for self-preservation
• Nominalism rejects the existence of universal essences or abstract ideas and emphasizes the primacy of individual things
• Absolutism argues for the necessity of a sovereign power with unlimited authority to maintain order and security
• Social contract theory proposes that political authority is based on an agreement between individuals to surrender their natural rights in exchange for protection
• Natural law refers to the universal principles that govern human behavior in the absence of government or society

Hobbes' State of Nature

• Hypothetical condition of human existence prior to the formation of government and society
• Characterized by a "war of all against all" in which individuals are constantly in conflict with each other
• No common power to keep individuals in check or to enforce contracts and agreements
• Life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" as people live in constant fear and insecurity
• Individuals have a natural right to self-preservation and are willing to use any means necessary to protect themselves
• No inherent moral or social constraints on human behavior as concepts of justice and injustice have no meaning
• Equality of individuals in terms of their vulnerability to violence and death creates a constant state of mutual distrust

The Social Contract According to Hobbes

• Individuals agree to surrender their natural rights and freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for protection and security
• The sovereign is not a party to the contract but is created by it and derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed
• The contract is irrevocable and absolute, giving the sovereign unlimited power to maintain order and punish transgressors
• Individuals are obligated to obey the sovereign as long as it fulfills its duty to protect them from internal and external threats
• The sovereign is not accountable to the people or subject to any higher law or authority
• Resistance to the sovereign is never justified, even if it acts unjustly or tyrannically, as this would lead to a return to the state of nature
• The social contract is based on rational self-interest rather than moral or religious principles

Absolute Power and the Sovereign

• The sovereign, whether a single person or an assembly, must have absolute and undivided power to be effective
• Limited or divided sovereignty leads to conflict, instability, and ultimately the dissolution of the social contract
• The sovereign has the right to make and enforce laws, to declare war and peace, to levy taxes, and to regulate religion and education
• It is the sole judge of what is necessary for the public good and cannot be challenged or held accountable by any other authority
• Individuals have no right to resist or rebel against the sovereign, even if they believe it is acting unjustly
• The sovereign is not bound by the laws it creates but is the source of all law and justice in the commonwealth
• Absolute power is necessary to prevent individuals from pursuing their own interests at the expense of the common good

Critiques and Controversies

• Hobbes' view of human nature as inherently selfish and aggressive has been criticized as overly pessimistic and reductive
• His defense of absolute sovereignty has been seen as a justification for tyranny and oppression
• The social contract theory assumes that individuals are free and equal in the state of nature, which may not reflect historical or cultural realities
• The idea that the sovereign is not accountable to any higher law or authority raises questions about the limits of political power and the protection of individual rights
• Hobbes' materialist and mechanistic philosophy has been challenged by those who emphasize the role of reason, morality, and free will in human behavior
• His views on religion as a tool of social control and his critique of the Church have been controversial and provocative
• The social contract theory has been criticized for its individualistic and ahistorical assumptions and its neglect of social and economic factors

Legacy and Influence

• Hobbes' ideas have had a profound impact on modern political philosophy and continue to be debated and discussed today
• His defense of absolute sovereignty and critique of limited government have influenced conservative and authoritarian political thought
• The social contract theory has been developed and modified by later thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and John Rawls
• Hobbes' materialist and mechanistic philosophy has been a precursor to modern scientific and naturalistic approaches to human behavior and society
• His emphasis on the role of fear and insecurity in human motivation has been influential in fields such as psychology and international relations
• Hobbes' critique of religion and his advocacy of a secular state have been important in the development of liberal and democratic political thought
• His ideas have been both praised and criticized by scholars and political leaders across the ideological spectrum