Thomas Hobbes' political theory of the social contract is based on his view of human nature as corrupt, untrustworthy, and in a constant "state of war." To escape this situation, individuals agree to a social contract that establishes an all-powerful sovereign, the Leviathan, to enforce laws and order. The Leviathan is given absolute power in exchange for providing security and peace to the people. Hobbes argues this authoritarian system is justified by laws of nature that individuals surrender their natural rights for the sake of security and survival in civil society.

1. HOBBES'
LEVIATHAN:
A Social
ContractZelney T. Andrada
BPE-SPE-3B

2. Thomas Hobbes'
Philosophy is
found mainly in
his leviathan.
The essence of
his political
theory is 'Social
Contract'.

3. Social Contract is a Democratic
organization in which participants are
considered equal, excepting the
sovereign, who enjoys a privileged
status. He is free to do what he wills and
further no power superior to his own
displace his sovereign position.

4. Hobbes adheres to a 'double truth' theory.
It is the belief that two contradictory ideas
may both be true simultaneously.
Ex. Belief in God and Atheism

5. His Philosophy of metaphysical
Materialism precludes the possibility of
any existent spiritual reality including
God, that is, what appears spiritual is
ultimately only a material body, or at
most, body in motion.

6. Man's Corrupt and
Belligerent Nature
Hobbes Based his political theory on his
concept of the nature of man whom he
depicts as a corrupt and untrustworthy
being by natural constitution.

7. He claims, because they too consider
man untrustworthy as is evidenced by
locking the doors of their houses; even
within the family circle, one is found
locking his private chest because of his
mistrust of family.

8. Not only is man corrupt and
untrustworthy by nature, but by
nature he has the perfect right,
provided he has the necessary
power, to take what he wants
from whoever he pleases. It is the
Nature's Law namely the law of
'Tooth and Claw'.

9. Man, a corrupt and belligerent creature
by nature, is entitled to the same laws
enjoyed by brute animals; "every man
has a right to every thing: even to
another's body." The most important
law is to keep from being destroyed,
and the second is to keep alive by
using whatever means is at one's
disposal

10. Within man's psychological constitution
exists three characteristics which
account for his belligerent tendency:
1. Competition - Creates within him an
insatiable hunger for gain.
2. Diffidence - drives him to seek security.
3. Glory - the lust for superiority, causes
him to build reputation

11. Natural Rights of
Man" The right of nature, or the jus naturale, is
the liberty each man has to use his own
power as he will himself for the
preservation of his own life; and
consequently, of doing anything which in
his own judgment and reason he shall
concieve to be the aptest means thereto."

12. To a 'natural right' there exists a
natural law as well, the first law
of man, namely , the law of Self-
preservation. Man is forbidden to
do anything destructive to his life
since there is nothing in this
world for which it is worth risking
one's life.

13. A Law of nature (Lex Naturalis) is
a precept, or general rule, found
out by reason, by which a man is
forbidden to do that which is
destructive of his life or take away
the means of preserving the
same; and to omit that by which
he thinks it may be best
preserved.

14. Societies, or the governments are built
due solely to the "fundamental law of
nature; which is to seek peace and follow
it," and "the second sum of the right of
nature; which is, by all means we can, to
defend ourselves." These two principles
are responsible for men engaging in a
social contract with one another.

15. Although man is entitled by nature
to whatever he can seize by
power, it would prove a futile and
vain effort since men in numbers
are equal.

16. For a strong man to attack a weak
brother would cause the weak to
unite with others who share his
predicament to ward off the
attacks of the strong, or possible
even to attack the strong by
invoking the principle: ' United we
stand, divided we fall.'

17. Nature Has made men so equal,
in the facilities of body and mind,
as that though there be found one
man sometimes manifestly
stronger in body, or of quicker
mind than other yet when all is
reckoned together

18. The difference between man and
man is not so considerable as
that one man can thereupon
claim to himself any benefit to
which another may not pretend
as well as he.

19. For as to strength of body , the
weakest has strength enough to
kill the strongest, either by
machination, or by confederacy
with others that are in the same
danger with himself

20. Eventually, men must sue for peace
since war is vain and obsolete. Men
insist on talking the matter over
around a conference table since this
recourse remains the only alternative
to total destruction and death. Men
are driven to agree upon a 'social
contract'.

21. The right of the stronger is no longer
exercisable when sizable numbers
are taken into consideration, for men
in groups are equal.
Technologically speaking, men of
whatever nation can be trained to do
whatever any other nation has been
doing.

22. The Social
ContractHobbes is right that nature has made
men so equal in faculties of body and
mind. That if a person is to survive in
a society, his only recourse is to enter
into a social compact.

23. The social contract consist essentially
in exchanging one's rights granted by
nature for moral or legal rights
provided by a compact.
Its basic principle is the surrender of
whatever liberties are presently
enjoyed by nature, for guarantee or
sake of survival.

24. In a sense, the social contract is the
'Golden Rule' negatively formulated.
"This is that law of the Gospel:
Whatever you require others should
do to you, that do ye to them . . ."

25. Essentially, it consists in the
transference or reciprocal
exchange of rights. "The mutual
transferring of right is that which
men call contract."

26. Laws of Nature
The Success of the social contract
form of government is due to the
operation within society of a number
of natural laws which are in essence
immutable and eternal. Justice is
adherence to these laws, injustice
their violation.

27. The laws of nature are as follows:
• "Seek peace and follow it" (law of self-
preservation)
• "That a man be willing when others are so
too, as far as for peace and defence of
himself he shal think it necessary, to lay
down this right to all things: and be content
with so much liberty against other men as he
would allow other men against himself"

28. • "That men perform their covenants made."
• "That a man which receives benefit from
another of mere grace, endeavor that he
which gives it has no reasonable cause to
repent of his good will."
• 'Compleasance' : "That every man strive to
accommodate himself to the rest."
• "That upon caution of future time, a man
ought to pardon the offenses past of them
that repenting desire it."

29. • "That in revenges, men look not at
the greatness of the evil past, but the
greatness of the good to follow."
• "That no man by deed, word,
countenance, or gesture, declare
hatred or contempt of another."
• "That every man acknowledge other
for his equal by nature." (pride)

30. • "That the entrance into conditions of peace, no
man require to reserve to himself any right which
he is not content should be reserved to everyone
of the rest."
• "If a man be trusted to judge between man and
man, it is a percept of the law of nature that he
deal equally between them."
• "That such things as cannot be divided, be
enjoyedin common, if it can be, and if the
quantity of the thing permit, without stint;
otherwise proportionally to the nember of them
that have right."

31. • the law of equity: "That the entire
right; or else, the first possession be
determined by lot."
• "That all men that mediate peace be
allowed safe conduct."
• "That they that are at controversy
submit their right to judgement of an
arbitrator."

32. The mentioned fifteen laws of
nature are reducible to one,
namely, the 'Golden Rule': "Do
not do that to other, which thou
wouldst not have done to
thyself."

33. The Leviathan

34. The Leviathan
The Leviathan is more than a
monarch, he is a 'mortal god' who
is above the law and its restraints,
a man to whom all citizens are
subject and to whom their right of
nature and right of self-
government is surrendered.

35. The sovereign, leviathan, is a man's
guarantee that others will fulfill
there end of the contract;
accordingly, the monarch must be
suffeciently powerful to force his
subject to fulfill their promise made
in respect to the compact, or
undergo suitable punishment if they
refuse or fail.

36. Concluding Comments
Hobbes' Leviathan a social contract, a
Democracy, a Monarchy, or a dictatorship
is difficult to say in as much as there are
obvious rival or contradictory doctrines,
such as totalitarian power in a single
monarch, rivaling the doctrine of a social
contract of free and equal people
democratically organized.

37. Hobbes regards man as unsocial
being, yet his entire philosophy is
based upon man's social relations
with his fellowman.
He identifies man's instincts with
that of the wild animals of the
jungle, but such beasts are not
social beings.

38. Perhaps a more acceptable explanation
than Hobbes provided as to why men
ought to, and do, enter into social
contract with each other on a
democratic basis is: man's mutual
understanding, social concern, and
mutual enhancement of each other's
condition despite the fact that there are
many persons who are principally
motivated out of self-interest.