Women live in the same state of nature as men
             Hobbes' understanding of human nature and the state of nature is not gender-biassed. Although his syntax is male oriented, I believe that Hobbes thought of men and women as having the same nature. That is, in the absence of an authority figure, both sexes would have a "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" (316) life. I propose that Hobbes' "three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory" (316), apply in both the nature of man and woman. There will be disorder from either of the sexes exhibiting competition, diffidence and glory. Why, according to Hobbes, should women expect as miserable a life as men should? Women's aspirations today to fulfill traditional female roles and a desire to be as successful as men impel women to competition, diffidence and glory.
             In considering competition as a factor giving rise to conflict in a disorganized state of nature, Hobbes had in mind persons obtaining the resources they wanted by overcoming anyone who stood in the way. The goal for 'man' is to gain whatever is necessary to hold the upper hand and disadvantage any competitors for those resources. The goal is equally applicable for women. Women compete with one another for a mate. All women are in the race, and the first one past the post is considered to be the worthiest of her gender. If a woman needs an edge in the battle for a mate, it is more than likely that she will try to sabotage the opposition. One might think that the examples in the television soap operas are exaggerations invented for entertainment. However, they are honest in that they portray the baser instincts of women. In one show, x's cousin wants to break up x's relationship with her boyfriend, not because she is in love with x's boyfriend but for the simple reason !
             that she wants to mess up x's hap...