Thomas Hobbes and Social Contract Theory

Thomas Hobbes and Social Contract Theory
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Thomas Hobbes And Social Contract Theory
Hobbes, a philosopher, argues that in order for human beings to live a life of order and without fear, they need to have some form of sovereign being or power to rule over them. This sovereign power can be an individual or a group of individuals that have the power to govern the rest. According to Hobbes, the sovereign power is necessary in order for people to live without fear of deaths and social conflicts.Hobbes clarifies that the alternative to this kind of scenario is a ‘state of nature’ which is characterized by fear of deaths and social conflicts. Hobbes has a peculiar view of human nature and believes that human bodies are machines and that political organizations are like artificial human beings. Hobbes also says that it is in human nature to be deficient of judgment and that humans need science to help them make some judgments regarding their everyday lives (Cahnand Markie, 2009).
Hobbes’s understanding of human nature is that humans need to be motivated before embarking on actions that define their lives. He believes that humans are not fundamentally selfish nor are they fundamentally rational in their judgments. It is also in human nature to be needy and vulnerable to several situations that control our everyday lives. Hobbes argues that humans are easily led astray and that human’s capacity to go astray is as abundant as hum…