Imitation: Nature is the art of God. Man imitates this art.
1. Man is a complex machine created through nature by God.
Man creates an artificial man called, the Leviathan or Commonwealth (government). The Leviathan's purpose is to protect and defend the collective group of human beings (the people's safety). The Leviathan was created by a contract in which each individual agreed implicitly to give the power to protect his/her individual rights to the Leviathan. In turn the Leviathan agrees to protect the collective rights of these individuals.
2. Good, Evil, and Contemptible are determined solely by an individual's emotions (desires, aversions, and contempt). Some of these are natural and some are based on experience (personal and observation).
3. In the state of nature, all people are equal in power. Thus, there is always hope that one can attain what one desires. Therefore, each individual is at risk of losing what he/she has if it is desired by another. Since, some desires are natural, this is bound to happen. In the search for security, each person endeavors to gain more power than those around him/her. Also, there are some who desire power itself. So, even those that are happy with only a few meager possessions are at risk. Thus, since there is a constant threat to individuals that they will lose what they need to survive, they have a right to defend themselves against such a threat.
Unfortunately, this leads to a war of all against all.
4. Furthermore, in the natural condition, people do not get along with each other. There are three major causes of fighting...
Competition: People see themselves as in competition with each other.
(invade for gain)
Diffidence: People lack self confidence and thus tend to overcompensate for it. (invade for safety)
Glory: People tend to desire glory. They expect others to value them as well as they value themselves. (invade for reputation)
THEREFORE... the only way that we can attain peace is if we can eliminate the hope that one can be successful in invading other's property and the fear that others can be successful in invading our's.
The means to achieve this is by creating a power that is much more powerful than anyone else.
5. Humans are not naturally social like the bees are.
-Continually in competition for honor and dignity
-The common good often differs from the individual (or private) good.
6. No moral judgement should be made of humans in the situation of a war of all against all. Morality, right and wrong, etc. do not exist in the natural condition. "Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice. Force and Fraud, are in war the two Cardinal Virtues. Justice, and Injustice are non of the Faculties neither of the Body, nor Mind." (Leviathan, Part I, Chap. 13.) Moral judgements relate to humans in society, not in solitude. Therefore, there is no morality when there is no society.
7. Humans can escape their natural conditions, including the war of all against all, through the use of passions and reason. Fear of death, desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living, and hope that, with effort, one can obtain such things are the passions that incline men to peace. "And Reason suggesteth convenient Articles of Peace, upon which men may be drawn to agreement." These Articles are Hobbes' Laws of Nature.
8. According to Hobbes, a law of nature is a general rule, found out by reason, by which a person is forbidden to do that which is destructive of his life, or takes away the means of preserving his life, and required to do that which he believes best preserves his life.
The first and fundamental law of nature is, "That every man, ought to endeavor Peace, as farre as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use, all helps, and advantages of Warre." This stresses the general rule, Seek Peace and Follow It. It also includes the natural right, to defend ourselves.
The second law of nature is, "That a man be willing, when others are so too, out of the desire for Peace and necessity for self-defense, to lay down the right to all things, and be content with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself." The right to liberty is not merely given up, but is transferred to the Leviathan.
9. The Leviathan is the person or assembly appointed by the people when they confer upon it the all their power and strength, and submit their wills and judgements to it to act on those things which concern the common peace and safety. The Leviathan is a "unity of all, in one and the same person, made by Covenant of every man with every man in such a manner, as if every man should say to every man, I Authorize and give up my Right of Governing my self, to this Man, or to this Assembly of men, on this condition, that thou give up thy Right to him, and Authorize all his Actions in like manner. This done, the multitude so united in one person, is called a COMMON-WEALTH," ruled by the Leviathan.
Five of Hobbes' Nineteen Laws of Nature
Fundamental Law of Nature - "That every man, ought to endeavor Peace, as farre as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use, all helps, and advantages of Warre." (Leviathon, Penguin Books (NY:1986), p.190)
Second Law of Nature - "That a man be willing, when others are so too, as farre-forth, as for Peace, and defence of himselfe he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to allthings; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himselfe." (Ibid)
Third Law of Nature, Justice - People should perform the covenants they make. (Ibid, p. 201)
Fourth Law of Nature - Since the object of every person is his/her own good, no gifts or acts of benevolence should meet ingratitude. (Ibid, p. 209)
Fifth Law of Nature - Every person should try to accommodate him/herself to others (i.e. Cooperate and work with others.). (Ibid)
(The mutual transferring of a right is called a contract. -according to Hobbes)
Reference:
Hobbes, T. Leviathan, Penguin Books (Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: 1986). First published in 1651.