Political Work Of Thomas Hobbes Essay

Improved Essays
What was the historical significance of the political work of Hobbes?

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was an English philosopher and political writer, best known for his book “Leviathan” (1651), in which he set out his political views on society and how governments should conduct themselves. Hobbes was writing at a very important point in history: England was going through the turmoil of civil war and this was a major influence on Hobbes’ political work. Also, Hobbes was writing just before the period known as the enlightenment and helped to sculpt the views of many other political theorists. The political work of Hobbes involved writings, being involved in political society and institutions and tutoring other intellectuals.

The key ideas, that Hobbes describes in Leviathan and through out his political life are; materialism, contractarianism, utilitarianism, and egoism. Hobbe’s thought on these ideas influenced many other thinkers and are key to understanding Hobbes thought. Egoism, is central to Hobbe’s thinking, as he believed that individuals are driven by their own self-interest. Regarding materialism, Hobbes believed that human decisions and interactions should not be based on the pursuit of material goods. The theory of contractarianism, is popular among many other theorists such as; Locke, Rawls and Rousseau. Contractarianism is a theory of a hypothetical contract between government and citizens. Utilitarianism, is the theory that political decisions should maximise pleasure and minimise pain. Utilitarianism is attributed mostly to John Stuart Mills, but there are similar themes that run through out Hobbes’ philosophy. Hobbes used his political work to try to influence the political landscape during his lifetime. He was a royalist supporter, who favoured absolute monarchy as a way of creating a stable society. On the outbreak of the English civil war Hobbes fled to Paris to live in exile where he wrote a treatise in 1640 defending King Charles I and the use of the prerogative powers. The treatise, “Elements of Law, Natural and Politic” , (1640) was even used in Parliamentary debates. Hobbes also served as a political advisor, translator, keeper of accounts and tutor for the wealthy and influential Cavendish family from 1608-1640 . During this period Hobbes attended parliamentary debates as well as meetings of the governors of the Virginia company , which had the sole purpose of colonizing North America’s eastern seaboard. Throughout his lifetime, although not in a direct position of authority, Hobbes had access to many people who held positions of power and mingled often in these social circles. Even during exile, Hobbes was a tutor to the young Charles II for a year in 1646. Although he was critical of Charles II on several topics in “Leviathan”, Hobbes was still invited to the royal court when the monarchy was reinstated in 1660 . Whilst Hobbes could not influence the political landscape directly around him, he had many opportunities through his many roles as an advisor, despite the lull of influence during his exile in Paris. Therefore, while Hobbes had an impact on English history, the significance of his political work goes far beyond this. Hobbes’ political work has historical significance because his views helped to shape many other important political developments, for instance the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Hobbes’ ideas are clear throughout the American Constitution, such as: the social contract, inalienable rights, and equality of all men. Hobbes believed that a government needed to be formed to enforce the rule of law and prevent chaos, but that citizens need to consent to forming the government . This idea is clear in the language of the preface of the US Constitution, in the use of phrases such as: “We the People”; “ensure domestic tranquillity”; and “promote the general welfare” . The use of “We the People” implies that the people are coming to an agreement about the basic conduct of
…show more content…
Hobbesian theory states that equality needs to be protected and that is why it is written into law and the US Constitution. Whilst the American founding fathers rejected Hobbes’ idea of absolute monarchy, and there is a Locke influence, there is a definite influence of Hobbes theories in the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and many other influential historical

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Thomas Hobbes established his own ideas about people and politics. For example, Hobbes believed that humans were selfish and did anything to better their position. Also, he believed that nations were selfishly motivated and only battled for power and wealth…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    government. Hobbes ideas impact our daily lives mainly his belief that states that the people should give up some of their rights to a more absolute power to protect them and regulate the society around them. This idea is known as a social compact or contract that states that, in their natural state, Hobbes believed that people would fight only for their self-interest and attack those who were in pursuit of their interests. The only way to stop people from engaging in this natural act was to create a government that would enforce the law and protect people from their state of nature. Hobbes negative view towards the nature of humans parallels that of the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence.…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In Hobbes view, if the sovereign can easily be overthrown, then you don’t really have a sovereign. They are, in a sense, immune (something close to a dictator). For Hobbes, where there is no rule there is no justice. Without a legal system in place, there is no conception of justice. The only way to make sure our selfishness doesn’t get out of control is an absolute…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    How does Hobbes’s view of nature shape his political theory? Political theories make suppositions about nature and/or natural laws. These boundaries (including the behaviors of the people within it) shape actions and decision-making, and the rules of nature thusly form the foundation of the ideology. It is prudent to analyze in-depth this basis for the moral and political philosophy of the great thinkers. The assumptions must make sense if the overall theory of thought built upon this foundation is to hold up.…

    • 1623 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hobbes states that “in order to live a more contented life… men must give up their freedom to the State” (Document 2). He believed that people were naturally cruel and needed protection from themselves. Hobbes wanted rule by absolute monarchs. He thought it was the only way to keep people in check. His beliefs closely supported how many people thought back then.…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The views of Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan are exemplified in his views that obedience is key to human salvation, and that war and violence are merely the cause of the nature of man. The contrasting views on freedom show the difference in philosophy, and the contrasting views of violence and nonviolence show the difference in how to achieve such…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In his book Leviathan, in 1660, Hobbes wrote about politics and the natural law. Hobbes believed that men have three causes to fight: “First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory”. This led him…

    • 1315 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Thomas Hobbes Influence

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages

    He translated the history of the Peloponnesian war from Greek to the English language. He also documented the history of the English civil war and all of it’s events. Without his works on this history the truth of the events could have been twisted from their actual accounts of the history itself. Hobbes’ ideas are major reasons for why things are how they are today. Politics, history and science would not be the same if Hobbes hadn’t done what he did, and because of that, the world should be forever grateful for his…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To begin, Thomas Hobbes was a pessimist towards human nature, strongly believing that humans were born greedy and hostile. To support his perceptions, Hobbes wrote Leviathan,…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the early modern periods when Hobbes lived, claims according to which political power originated from a divine or predetermined condition were accompanied by limitations on political rights of people. Hobbes was original, in that he used his argument in support of such ruling families by urging people that some liberty has to be given up and hence vouching for absolute…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    ‘For Hobbes, the purpose of politics is to escape war. As such, he insists that in order to establish a democratic political order, all individuals need to hand over their will to a single point of ultimate authority’ (Field, 2015). Due to their beliefs on human nature, Hobbes and Machiavelli shared comparable principles with regards to the need of a sovereign ruler, and the requirement for a functioning supreme power in order to control the people. In the enlightenment period in which Hobbes wrote in his book the Leviathan about the human nature of people, he, similarly to Machiavelli, described that they were selfish and war-prone. Hobbes believed that people are not born with the understanding of what was right…

    • 1550 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hobbes, on the other hand, thinks that people only care about power and appetite. We want certain things and we want to get power to get those things. Hobbes’ view is that there is no such thing as responsibility. Moreover, we look at the state of nature. Locke stated that the state of nature is the state of no government; law that obliges everyone and reason.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hobbes believed that the state was one body, but it had individual parts. This is reflected in the Constitution because it gives each state the right to rule within their state, but then all the states have to some together to form our nation as a whole. This is seen specifically in the tenth amendment when the power not specifically given to the federal government through the constitution is given to the states. Mill believed that the country should be ruled by the majority but the minority should be protected. This is how our country works, we make decisions by voting and the majority wins, but there are rules in place to protect the minority during this time.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Hobbes wants the society to work together meaning giving some rights up in exchange for protection. “This equality of ability produces equality of hope for the attaining of our goals” (Thomas Hobbes). For example, if two people want something they both can’t enjoy or use then they quickly become enemies. Hobbes view, “A law of nature is a command or general rule, discovered by reason, which forbids a man to do anything that is destructive of his life or takes away his means for preserving his life, and forbids him to omit anything by which he thinks his life can best be preserved” (Leviathan, Chapter 14). Those who debate this subject often mistake right and law to be the same yet they ought to be distinguished.…

    • 1796 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both agree that subjects shall summit to a sovereign their right and obligations such as, judgment and consequences. It can be due to both having the notion that their ideal ruler(s) should have some sort of authority towards their men. In order to guide them to peace. Also by doing this their sovereign(s) can be portrayed as superior and subject’s inferior by having more rights and entitlement than them. In other words, it creates some hierarchical system where both Hobbes and Locke ideal ruler(s) authorize all that occurs within society and subjects shall be obedient with minimal input.…

    • 2054 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays