Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes was born in London in 1588. After his receiving his education at Oxford he traveled to various European countries, learning and studying different forms of government. These studies led him to the question of why people allow themselves to be ruled. He also wondered what type of government would best govern in England. In 1651, Hobbes recorded his theories of philosophy in his most famous work entitled Leviathan. In Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, he states that in a human's "state of nature" he or she is evil, selfish, and cannot be ruled. There is no right or wrong, nor is there justice or injustice. It's basically "every man for himself." The world is basically in chaos when humans are in this state. Each individual's main priority is self-preservation. In order to achieve this Hobbes came up with a right each individual possesses in order to achieve this self-preservation, the "right of nature." In order to carry out this right, certain "laws of nature" were created. These laws are acts or forms of
It is here that humans, according to Hobbes, form a society. A sole leader must be chosen to carry out certain decisions, as well as to set laws. I can think of many things I am morally bound to do to which I have never agreed. Also, if Hobbes believes that society is based on agreement, which leads to having a moral obligation, then one could question his philosophy if an individual was never to agree with anything. The king's opinion could greatly vary with the public's opinion, and this creates an unhappy society. For instance, I never agreed to do my homework every night, but I still have a moral obligation to do it. Because individuals alone do not agree on anything, and are only interested in their own self-interests, a democracy is impossible to accomplish according to Hobbes. However, Hobbes created a system involving the "voice of the people. behavior that ensure one's safety and preservation. " This allows the people to give some suggestion in the way of government, but the king or queen has the official word. " According to Thomas Hobbes, in order to ensure safety, there must be a monarchial government. Therefore, a monarchy is the best way to govern a society. For instance, a student council committee, or school system, has to decide on whether or not there should be a final decision maker, or whether a vote should be taken for everything. In other words, Hobbes says, that in order for you to have a moral obligation to something, you must agree to it. I personally believe that individuals are born into society through family.
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