Question

Is Thomas Hobbes’ picture of man in the state of nature and why it leads to the social contract a true assessment of men’s basic psychology, why or why not?

Answer 1

Human beings according to Hobbes, are solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short but according to him human beings rational beings who strive for power and use their rationality to overcome fear. This fearlessness and hunger for power drives them to manipulate others thus leaving some disadvantaged. It is here, Hobbes believes that the necessity for social contract emerges. Social contract keeps people under control and safeguards those who are disadvantaged. Social contract according to Hobbes is a morally justified agreement among the human beings in order to establish a peaceful and organized society. It’s the reasoning power of the human beings that helps them to understand that there are some natural laws that guarantee peace. Hobbes sees the need for individual freedom and free will thus coming out of the religious and the oppression of the monarchs. Most of the republican governments have ensured this mutual agreement that would foster diversity and individual freedom by overcoming all the differences.