THOMAS HOBBES

Born on 1588.
Entered University of Oxford at the age of 15
and stayed there for 5 years.
After his degree, he become a tutor of:
William Cavendish who later become King of
England.
Principles:
Before we can understand the nature of
society, we must first adequately comprehend
the nature of the human being.
HOBBES’S ELEMENTS ON THE STUDY OF
HUMAN NATURE:
1. EQUALITY AMONG MEN
3 Distinctions of Characteristics
◦ Equality in the faculties of mind and body.
◦ Equality of hope in achieving goals.
◦ Equality in the exercise of man’ s natural right to
self-preservation.
2. MAN ON THE SOCIAL ANIMAL
 Societies are created by men, consciously
deciding that they want to be part of a society.
They are thus products of agreements, covenants
or contracts.
3. MAN AS POWER SEEKER
 Not a good seeker, but power seeker
 Man is engaged in an endless pursuit of power which
ends only in death.

4. THE NATIONALITY OF MAN

 Reason is a peculiar to man
 Reason is possessed by men even while they are the
state of nature or outside the society.

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT

 Voluntary
 Mutually agreed upon
THE OUTCOME OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT
• Once both parties and other people as well agreed
to transfer the rights to a sovereign power, the
outcome will be “Commonwealth”.
THE SOVEREIGN POWER
An assembly of men who make sure that the
subjects follow the contract.
THE TASK OF SOVEREIGN POWER
Protect the subjects and not harm them.
SOCIAL CONTRACT
Voluntary agreement by the people to set up a
society or government.