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Pages:
6 pages/≈1650 words
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Social Sciences
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Essay
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English (U.K.)
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Topic:

Thomas Hobbes' Experiences that Lead to His Strong Viewpoint

Essay Instructions:

Citation requirements: Focus on the must-read book and quote relevant
content reasonably. At least six academic secretaries, newspapers, etc. need to be
cited
Words requirement: 1500-2000 KEYS: 1. Accurate and specific description of the theoretical argument. 2. Use of the original texts to support your analysis. For many questions there is no requirement that you use a wide range of secondary sources to do so effectively. 3. Your critical analysis and argument addressing the question

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Why is 'The Life of Man, Solitary, Poor, Nasty, Brutish, and Short' In Hobbes' State of Nature?
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Thomas Hobbes' Experiences that Lead to His Strong Viewpoint 
To understand why Thomas Hobbes had a strong viewpoint, we need to take into account his experiences and the setting to which he belonged. Contrary to popular belief stating that Hobbes was a pessimist, he was a realist with a deep reverence for reason, logic, and truthfulness. Thomas Hobbes belonged to the era of enlightenment, wherein certain societal and cultural beliefs were being defined and challenged by various philosophers. Hobbes viewed humans as beings with a sense of self, and he regarded man as the highest form of art and as a superior being from animals because of their higher capability of intellect. He defines sense as a gift that is primal of all other capacities of man, and all other faculties are derived from this original. He also acknowledges the imperfections of man's reason as he talks about superstitions and dreams to give a context of man's behavior and nature. He presents the notion of fear and man's anxiety towards the unknown.
In his book, the Leviathan, he imagines what the world would be like if there was no government. Life is something that needs to be understood from the perspective of individual experience, as Hobbes argues how humans are equal in their quest for survival. Everyone faces, at some point in their life, a risk of being taken advantage of or killed by others. This is because humans have an inherent drive to protect their assets. Hobbes has this belief because this is what he observed in his society, as people needed resources to survive. He witnessed the English civil war and has been exposed to the violence that happens in the cities. This is why Hobbes believes in the importance of a sovereign who can punish those who step out of line (Hobbes, 2018, p. 5)
In the state of nature, as Hobbes argues, no one would be watching those who are abusing their freedom, which will, in turn, lead to a "war of every man against every man." He argues that without a sovereign watching, violence and confusion will erupt on all of society. Valuable endeavors such as the discovery of knowledge, farming, and infrastructure construction will become chaotic because people will not have a guarantee of harvesting the fruits of their labor, for others might take advantage of them and steal their products or knowledge. This is preempted by a general state of fear of violent death and being taken advantage of by others. (Hobbes, 2018, p. 23)
Hobbes's notion on the state of nature is backed by his analysis of humans, and how even if they have the faculties for higher awareness and complex intellect, they are still slaves to the drive to survive. Hobbes has a belief that humans are rational creatures who can establish an agreement with each other, not to kill and rob each other. The natural state is a state of war, as Hobbes puts it together because he believes that human progress and stability will be overwhelmed by violence if there is no governing force to enforce the law and order that society needs. The passage in his book presents his central notion of how the world, without a governmen...
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