THOMAS HOBBES & THE THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT

THOMAS HOBBES 

Introduction

The political thought of every thinker is the product of his experiences: and choices. Similarly, the events of his era shaped his experiences and subsequently his political thought.

1. Events Influenced Hobbes.
2. Spanish Armada attack on England-1588.
3. English Civil War- 1642-1688.

• Hobbes was highly influenced by the above-mentioned factors and ultimately concluded that human nature is bad, thus absolute power(Monarchy) is the only tool to control violent human behaviour.
• Another important series of events that influenced Hobbes was the New Philosophy, it was the philosophy of scientific enquiry empiricism and materialism.
• Hobbes was highly influenced by Geometry and Galilean method of enquiry i.e. why he tried to establish the power of the king, not via 'Divine Theory ' but because of the requirement of survival.
• His method is properly known as the Resolutive composite Method, he claimed his method as scientific to understand human nature and behaviour. He claimed to understand modern politics because traces of politics are found inside human nature.

Hobbesian Social Contract( book:-Leviathan 1651 )

• Human Nature: Hobbes rejected all the existing ideas about human nature like human beings are political or social animals or human nature is good etc.
•  He Presented a Pessimistic View of human nature, According to Hobbes, Human nature is bad i.e. Self-centred, self- Interested and egoistic.
• State of nature-.;- it is the condition where there is no State, no authority, everyone enjoys absolute liberty and possess natural rights. Hobbes talked about 19 such natural rights which people had in a State of nature
• Also in State of nature Passion is dominated over reason and the ultimate aim of human beings was survival. There was a constant struggle for survival.
•  Thus, in the State of Nature, "everyone was at the war against everyone".
• There was completer anarchy Hobbes also says that there was no society, no morality or consciousness and religion.
•  In the words of Hobbes " in State of nature, there were no art. no literature. no society and which is worst of all is continual fear and danger of violent death; and life of man was, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short."
• Social Contract: man wanted to escape this anarchic 'State of Nature ' thus they did a mutual agreement among themselves, they surrendered all their natural rights which they were enjoying in State of Nature except one that is Right to life. Through that agreement, people created civil society as well as the State(Leviathan). This mutual agreement is known as a social contract.

Features of Hobbesian Social contract:-

• A.single contract:- Hobbesian Social contract is a single contract done among the people which created the society as the Sovereign(Leviathan).
• Everyone is part of the contract, no one is out of it, if anyone is left out then that person will continue to enjoy his or her sovereignty.
• During the Social Contract, everyone has surrendered their natural rights except the right to life, it is the responsibility of the Sovereign to protect the right to life of people if Leviathan fails to do so people have the right to violate the contract.
• Leviathan is absolute, he is not responsible and accountable for his actions because he was not the party of the contract, however, people can revolt against him if he fails to perform his duty which is to protect the life of all.
• Violation of the contract will again reinvite the State of Nature.

Why does Hobbes Support absolute and Strong States?

•  Hobbes on the basis of his personal experience concluded that human behaviour is bad and such type of behaviour can be only controlled by fear or power, so State or Leviathan or.Commonwealth.Or_Sovereign has to be. strong.
• People during the contract, only agreed on "Tight to Life", thus except "Right to life" all other rights to be submitted to Leviathan and Leviathan has to put effort to protect "Right to Life" of others, thus he needed to be Powerful and Strong.
• In the words of Hobbes, "Covenants are merely words without swords"

Hobbes Started with Individualism but ended with an absolutism.

 Individualism:

1. Because he rejected Divine Rights Theory, all self-evident truths and metaphysical and teleological ideas, and at the same time only accepted material and Physical ideas.
2.  His justification of State was given by Social Contract where he recognized the individuals, every individual has equal right to enter into the contract.
3.  With respect to the purpose of the State also Individuals was in the centre, the ultimate I aim of State was the protection of the individual's Right to Life.

he started as an individualist but ended with Absolutism because:

1.  No right is given to the people against the Leviathan, except the Right to life.
2.  There was no accountability and responsibility of Leviathan because he is not part of the contract rather the outcome of the contract.

Share this post