The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/texts/term_papers/hobbes.txt

Text File | 1996-04-09 | 2KB | 34 lines

Hobbes

Some of my ideas on government, sovereignty, and the power of
the people are that the government should have absolute power.
Absolute monarchy is one common example of this form of
government.  I believe that people should turn over rights in
exchange for an orderly society.  Quoting my book Leviathan I
believe that "People are innately selfish and grasping, and that
competition and dissension rather than cooperation, characterize
human relations."  I observed that "People are reluctant to alter
their ways, because passion, not reason, governs their behavior."
From these reasons I feel that an exchange of some rights for an
orderly society would be needed to keep unity and safety within the
society.

My views of human nature are that "Life is nasty, brutish and
short."  I feel that the state will end the perpetual strife and provide
security.  Quoting Leviathan, "The state is merely a useful
arrangement that permits individuals to exchange goods and
services in a secure environment.  I feel that the ruling authority in
the state, the sovereign, must have supreme power or society will
collapse and the anarchy of the state of nature will return."

My opponent, Locke, feels that people have natural rights, and that
they are born with these rights.  He says the governments are
instituted to protect these rights, but I feel that these people can't
handle having these rights.  If a leader is to lenient the people will
take advantage.  As Machiavelli said, "It's better to be feared than
loved."  Ancient Athens was a lenient society while Sparta on the
other hand was strict and defeated Athens because of their military
and stronger society.  Lockes society will quickly fall apart because
of the peoples lack of control on themselves while he is being so
lenient.