Hobbes: Leviathan XIII

Hobbes, Thomas. 1991. Leviathan. Cambridge University Press New York.

Nature is the source of equality amongst humans. While there is a discrepancy in some of their mental/physical abilities, these discrepancies are not so great as to make one person not able to kill another. Thus, the playing field is equal.

Men are also equally prudent; they all have a conservative desire to survive.

The world is set up so that there is always conflict because there is scarce resources.

This context leads to a world where people are concerned with “competition, diffidence and glory.”

Thus, we get the war of all against all. Thus we get life is nasty, brutish and short. Thus the state comes in to save the day.