Analysis of the theory of Social Contract by Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes theory of Social Contract appeared for the first time in Leviathan
published in the year 1651 during the Civil War in Britain. Thomas Hobbes╆ legal
theory is based on ╉Social contract╊. According to him, prior to Social Contract, man
lived in the State of Nature. Man╆s life in the State of NATURE was one of fear and
selfishness. Man lived in chaotic condition of constant fear. Life in the State of Nature
was ╅solitary╆, ╅poor╆, ╅nasty╆, ╅brutish╆, and ╅short╆.
Man has a natural desire for security and order. In order to secure self-
protection and self-preservation, and to avoid misery and pain, man entered
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2410525
Page 2 of 7
into a contract. This idea of self-preservation and self-protection are inherent in
man╆s nature and in order to achieve this, they voluntarily surrendered all their
rights and freedoms to some authority by this contract who must command
obedience. As a result of this contract, the mightiest authority is to protect and
preserve their lives and property. This led to the emergence of the institution of
the ╉ruler╊ or ╉monarch╊, who shall be the absolute head. Subjects had no rights
against the absolute authority or the sovereign and he is to be obeyed in all
situations however bad or unworthy he might be. However, Hobbes placed moral
obligations on the sovereign who shall be bound by natural law.
Hence, it can be deduced that, Hobbes was the supporter of absolutism. In the
opinion of Hobbes, ╉law is dependent upon the sanction of the sovereign and the
Government without sword are but words and of no strength to secure a man at
all╊. He therefore, reiterated that civil law is the real law because it is commanded
and enforced by the sovereign. Thus, he upheld the principle of ╉Might is always
Right╊.
Hobbes thus infers from his mechanistic theory of human nature that humans are
necessarily and exclusively self-interested. All men pursue only what they perceive
to be in their own individually considered best interests. They respond
mechanistically by being drawn to that which they desire and repelled by that to
which they are averse. In addition to being exclusively self-interested, Hobbes also
argues that human beings are reasonable. They have in them the rational capacity to
pursue their desires as efficiently and maximally as possible. From these premises of
human nature, Hobbes goes on to construct a provocative and compelling argument
for which they ought to be willing to submit themselves to political authority. He did
this by imagining persons in a situation prior to the establishment of society, the
State of Nature.
Hobbes impels subjects to surrender all their rights and vest all liberties in the
sovereign for preservation of peace, life and prosperity of the subjects. It is in this
way the natural law became a moral guide or directive to the sovereign for
preservation of the natural rights of the subjects. For Hobbes all law is dependent
upon the sanction of the sovereign. All real law is civil law, the law commanded and
Page 3 of 7
enforced by the sovereign and are brought into the world for nothing else but to
limit the natural liberty of particular men, in such a manner, as they might not hurt
but to assist one another and join together against a common enemy. He advocated
for an established order. Hence, Individualism, materialism, utilitarianism and
absolutions are inter-woven in the theory of Hobbes.
Analysis of the theory of Social Contract by Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes theory of Social Contract appeared for the first time in Leviathan published in the year 1651 during the Civil War in Britain. Thomas Hobbes╆ legal theory is based on ╉Social contract╊. According to him, prior to Social Contract, man lived in the State of Nature. Man╆s life in the State of NATURE was one of fear and selfishness. Man lived in chaotic condition of constant fear. Life in the State of Nature was ╅solitary╆, ╅poor╆, ╅nasty╆, ╅brutish╆, and ╅short╆. Man has a natural desire for security and order. In order to secure self-protection and self-preservation, and to avoid misery and pain, man entered Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2410525Page 2 of 7into a contract. This idea of self-preservation and self-protection are inherent in man╆s nature and in order to achieve this, they voluntarily surrendered all their rights and freedoms to some authority by this contract who must command obedience. As a result of this contract, the mightiest authority is to protect and preserve their lives and property. This led to the emergence of the institution of the ╉ruler╊ or ╉monarch╊, who shall be the absolute head. Subjects had no rights against the absolute authority or the sovereign and he is to be obeyed in all situations however bad or unworthy he might be. However, Hobbes placed moral obligations on the sovereign who shall be bound by natural law. Hence, it can be deduced that, Hobbes was the supporter of absolutism. In the opinion of Hobbes, ╉law is dependent upon the sanction of the sovereign and the Government without sword are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all╊. He therefore, reiterated that civil law is the real law because it is commanded and enforced by the sovereign. Thus, he upheld the principle of ╉Might is always Right╊. Hobbes thus infers from his mechanistic theory of human nature that humans are necessarily and exclusively self-interested. All men pursue only what they perceive to be in their own individually considered best interests. They respond mechanistically by being drawn to that which they desire and repelled by that to which they are averse. In addition to being exclusively self-interested, Hobbes also argues that human beings are reasonable. They have in them the rational capacity to pursue their desires as efficiently and maximally as possible. From these premises of human nature, Hobbes goes on to construct a provocative and compelling argument for which they ought to be willing to submit themselves to political authority. He did this by imagining persons in a situation prior to the establishment of society, the State of Nature. Hobbes impels subjects to surrender all their rights and vest all liberties in the sovereign for preservation of peace, life and prosperity of the subjects. It is in this way the natural law became a moral guide or directive to the sovereign for preservation of the natural rights of the subjects. For Hobbes all law is dependent upon the sanction of the sovereign. All real law is civil law, the law commanded and Page 3 of 7enforced by the sovereign and are brought into the world for nothing else but to limit the natural liberty of particular men, in such a manner, as they might not hurt but to assist one another and join together against a common enemy. He advocated for an established order. Hence, Individualism, materialism, utilitarianism and absolutions are inter-woven in the theory of Hobbes.
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