Baes, Aldrin Paglinawan

GRSS 200 Philosophy and History of Social Sciences

Jose Alejandro S. Tenorio, PhD

“BELLUM OMNIUM CONTRA OMNES”

(Social Contract Theory of Thomas Hobbes)

Terrorism is a global and endemic problem nowadays, but people do not realize that the

root cause of terrorism is social injustice. Terrorism is the use of violence to achieve political

ends. It seeks to create an atmosphere of fear, apprehension and uncertainty. Terrorist operations

have taken place throughout the course of history in different forms and shapes. Too much

poverty in the midst of material wealth in the hands of the few privileged people, total

concentration of wealth and power in some families, lack of genuine concern for the genuine

sharing of all these. Other possible cause of these are religious fanaticism or the inordinate use of

religion to justify genocide, intolerance by some religious groups, and the perennial war and

conflicts involving land and territories like here in the Philippines between corporate agricultural

estates and the indigenous peoples' ancestral domains.

Throughout the Philippine history, it has also dealt with domestic challenges related to

crime, militancy, piracy, and terrorism—including the world’s longest-running communist

insurgency by the New People’s Army (NPA) as well as a decades-long Muslim separatist

movement in Mindanao. At the heart of the conflict in Mindanao lies deep-rooted prejudices

against a minority Muslim and indigenous population. However, recent developments have seen

an historic breakthrough in the form of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Moro

Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Philippines. This is a major

milestone for settling decades of armed conflict by creating a new self-governing region called

the Bangsamoro. But as long as the rich countries and the rich and powerful business owners,

politicians, and other wielders of powers and wealth do not devolve their authority and do not

share their wealth with the millions of hungry, angry and hopeless people in the world, there will
Baes, Aldrin Paglinawan
GRSS 200 Philosophy and History of Social Sciences
Jose Alejandro S. Tenorio, PhD

always be terrorism. Social justice, according to the late president Jose P. Laurel, is not

communism or atomism, but simply humanizing the law and equalizing the forces in society. If

the government authorities will only value the interest of the people and see it as the supreme

law and not the wealth and powers of the oligarchs, this will be the solution to solve terrorism in

the Philippines.

On May 23, hundreds of armed supporters of ISIL surprised the Philippine government and took over
Marawi city in the country’s south. Spray painted messages show the group's aim - to forge an Islamic caliphate for
ISIL in Southeast Asia. (Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2017/10/gaining-ground-battle-
marawi-171025081025610.html)
Baes, Aldrin Paglinawan
GRSS 200 Philosophy and History of Social Sciences
Jose Alejandro S. Tenorio, PhD

If we will analyze the Art of Loving by Erich Fromm, he said that, “most people are not

even aware of their need to conform. They live under the illusion that they follow their own ideas

and inclinations, that they are individualists, that they have arrived at their opinion as the result

of their own thinking - and that it just happens that their ideas are the same as this of the

majority.” Fromm believes that the solution of the man’s problem is love because modern

humans are alienated from each other and from its nature therefore, the only answer is by

developing one's total personality to the capacity of loving one's neighbour with "true humility,

courage, faith and discipline" that one attains the capacity to experience real love. But according

to Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher said that humans are very selfish and that we are

willing to hurt each other if we think it will help us. He also said that, naturally, humans are all

equal because we are all strong enough to kill each other—even a child can kill a strong man

while he sleeps. He imagined what things would be like without a government. He said that it

would be terrible—a "state of war". There would not be enough stuff for everyone, and people

would disagree about who got what. Some people would fight each other, and everyone else

would be very worried about their own safety. Hobbes argues that it would be a good idea for

everyone to stop fighting and choose a Sovereign which could be one man or an assembly of

men. Everyone should agree to obey the Sovereign, and give him all power of coercion or force

of restraint under law. Once the Sovereign is in place, everyone has to obey him, even those who

disagree with him. This is because everyone already agreed to obey him no matter what. Hobbes

says it's better to be mostly safe under an all-powerful Sovereign, than to be in a state of war.

Now, the major question that must be addressed today is how can we effectively divide

power between governments and people if the condition of the nature of man is selfish? I agree

that our society promotes individuality that leads to selfishness but let us all remember that a
Baes, Aldrin Paglinawan
GRSS 200 Philosophy and History of Social Sciences
Jose Alejandro S. Tenorio, PhD

community will not work without the help of a single individual. The ultimate goal of society is

to promote good and happy life for its individuals. It creates conditions and opportunities for the

all round development of individual personality. Society ensures harmony and cooperation

among individuals in spite of their occasional conflicts and tensions. Therefore, people must

forget their differences and start seeking their ultimate goal, and that is… to live harmoniously.

References

Fromm, Erich (1963). The Art of Loving. Bantam Books. New York

__________. (2001) The Sane Society Remarks on Utopianism. Henry Holt and Company.

New York

Gordon, Scott (1991). The History and Philosophy of Social Science. Routledge. New York

Hobbes, Thomas (1651). Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common-Wealth

Ecclesiasticall and Civil. ISBN 978-1439297254

Rawls, John (1971). A Theory of Justice

Internet Source

http://www.academia.edu/6867907/Terrorism_A_Problem_in_the_Philippines

http://time.com/marawi-philippines-isis/

http://www.ndcp.edu.ph/wpcontent/uploads/publications/BANLAOI_Current%20Terrorist

%20Groups%20and%20Emerging%20Extremist%20Armed%20Movement%20in%20the

%20Southern%20Philippines%20Threats%20to%20Philippine%20National%20Security.pdf
Baes, Aldrin Paglinawan
GRSS 200 Philosophy and History of Social Sciences
Jose Alejandro S. Tenorio, PhD

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/11/16/1759556/philippines-12th-country-most-affected-

terrorism

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/tag/terrorism