Thomas Hobbes’ Theory

Hobbes Philosophy
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Hobbes’ Theory
Thomas Hobbes described the role of fear of death in the political organization of society. He says fear of death drives the desire for a safe and secure society. The natural fear of death among men drives the need for a sovereign state whose primary purpose is to offer protection. In one of his works, the Leviathan, he came up with the phrase ‘state of nature,’ which describes a state of freedom where leadership is absent. He suggested that in such a society, people are ready to fight one another to protect themselves and their property. Furthermore, people are selfish, and everyone wants to be powerful. The appetite for power may result in anarchy, as before civilization.
Naturally, people are in a constant state of fear and can kill each other. The natural law of existence allowed those with power to acquire and hold on to property for as long as possible. Before civilization, people lived in suspicion of one another because of constant fear of attack. Mutual fear brings people together to form a government that protects them from one another. People re-direct their fear of each other to the fear of the state, which is the higher power. The existence of a sovereign state creates laws that dictate what is wrong and what is right, creating order in society.
The laws of nature protect people from evils that are naturally human. The laws allow people to co-exist in society without harming themselves or each other. The first law encourages people to protect themselves and preserve their lives. Men should avoid engaging in activities that may lead to their death and commit to that which protects their life. The other law of nature promotes the protection of life across society. This law encourages people to agree to maintain peace through social contracts. To create a contract, people come together and create a sovereign by agreeing to a set of laws. The sovereign protects people from harming each other.
According to Hobbes’ state of nature, the causes of conflict among men are competition, mistrust, and glory. Competition makes men behave unfairly towards others for material gain. They may use force or violence to gain control over their perceived competitors. Mistrust causes people to be suspicious of each other and anticipate conflict. Therefore, men stay prepared to fight whenever they feel threatened or attacked. People are naturally egocentric and selfish. They wish to be glorified and to be praised for their reputation.
How Hobbes’ claim has been demonstrated and duplicated.
An ancient Greek philosopher, Plato founded a philosophical academy where he taught about theoretical and practical philosophical doctrines. His doctrines are recognized as Platonism. Plato’s major contributions to philosophy include the theory of forms and the theory of soul. Plato’s theory of forms states that the material world is non-existent and physical items are imitations. According to this theory, things are classified into the unchanging world of ideas backed by reason or the perceived world of material objects based on senses that vary from time...