The Sovereign of Hobbes

According to Hobbes, commonwealth is

established in two ways, commonwealth by
institution which, results from agreement
wherein the people voluntarily submit to
sovereign. And commonwealth by acquisition,
which is formed when, the sovereign takes his
position by force. Both the commonwealth
result from fear. The former is instituted by
men because, people fear the ruler. In both the
cases, absolute sovereign is establishes himself
on his subjects.
Hobbes sovereign is absolute because, the
civil society has been instituted for the sake of
security of life and possessions. Sovereignty is
also permanent, indivisible and non-
transferable. Hobbes insisted that sovereignty
must be located in a simple organ.
 Law is command of sovereign who alone has
the power to enforce it. The sovereign is not
subject in any manner to law. The possession of
sovereignty carries with it the right of immunity
from civil or criminal action. It also confers on
him the right to make laws and to regulate all
personal and property relationships.
Sovereignty also confers on its wielder the right
to adjudicate all controversies to make peace
and to punish all offenders.
Hobbes is bitterly opposed to division of
power. He attacks any institution that may
weaken the omnipotence of sovereign. He is
also opposed to idea of mixed constitution.
Hobbes believed that the false opinion
entertained in England that sovereignty be
shared among king, lords and commons led to
civil war in England. Monarchy was most
desirable form of government because, it was
least subject to passion or to dissolution by civil
war.
Hobbes says that as individual have insisted the
commonwealth by making their wills
subservient to the will of ruler, yet they have
no right without the permission of ruler to
appoint new sovereign or to make new
contract. They cannot do anything against the
will of sovereign which alone reigns supreme in
state. Although sovereign is the product of the
mutual agreement of people, he is above and
apart from it.
Hobbes state is authoritarian because his ruler
exercises enormous powers, but it is certainly
not a totalitarian one, because it does not
swallow the individual. Hobbes believed that it
would be unwise and impracticable for ruler to
interfere with those details of life of his people
which have nothing to do with peace and unity
of state. Subjects should enjoy a measure of
freedom.
An important thing to be noted in the end is
Hobbes sovereign is absolute because he has to
protect the life of all his subjects and work for
their material wellbeing.
Hobbes regards protection of life and
property as the end for which, ruler is given
tremendous powers. But equally important is
fact that apart from material ends the state has
also a moral end which has been ignored by
him.