Hobbes State of Nature
Hobbes’ State of Nature Many people live their life with a firm belief in their own morality and righteousness. ... Thomas Hobbes explores this idea in the book Leviathan. In it he describes “The State of Nature.” This state refers to a time before man came together under a common rule or authority and each answered only to his or her own laws. This essay will discuss the condition of man in the state of nature and also explore the idea that if left to their own desires, men will transform the state of nature into a state of war. The state of nature not only refers to a society without laws, but also the state of an individual. The state of nature can refer to a man who believes he is from the laws that are imposed by others, and therefore, is also free of fear. It seems from Chapter XIII that Hobbes does not have much faith in the natural goodness of man, however he does believe in their natural equality. ... It is this equality of man in the state of nature that makes each as vulnerable as the next, meaning no one feels safe. Men in the state of nature not only share the same vulnerabilities, they also share a feeling of narcissism. ... Hobbes writes, “They (men) may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned; yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves; for they see their own wit at hand, and other men’s at a distance” (82). This belief in his own superiority, although nature dictates equality, leads each man to believe that he can overcome another with force if need be. Although the state of nature has men equally matched between physical and mental toughness, there is no consistency in moral equality, therefore men live with only the security that their own strength can provide and begin to see every man as a potential enemy.