Thomas Hobbes : War and the Leviathan
Throughout the Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes presents the different scenarios in which he mentions; how humans tend to live in a society, and what may pursue or dignify them towards that path. As the Leviathan gets stranded into deeper roots, Hobbes presents the audience with the idea of human nature and how that very type of behaviour helps them enter what Hobbes call the ‘society’. Hobbes classification of human nature takes into account notions such as war, which help explain certain behaviours attributed to individuals and more so Hobbes views on war in the Leviathan.
Hobbes first makes reference to this ‘constant nature of war’ between humans in chapter XIII-Of the Natural Condition of Mankind as Concerning their Felicity and Misery. In the chapter Hobbes explains, all men are made equal in the body and mind, although through time one can attain a stronger body or a sharper mind than the other.[1] Hobbes explains this by mentioning that; “the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself”.[2] What Hobbes tries to outline in this sentence is that, though we are born equal, it is not necessary that an automatic win be rewarded to that one who is physically stronger, but it is worth noticing that even weaker human has the strength to kill the superior human through either secret machination or confederacy with others that are in the same danger as himself.
Hobbes then ties this theory of equal faculties of body and mind into the quest for desire. Hobbes explains, through these abilities, arises equality of hope.[3] Hobbes explains that, since the two men posses equal abilities to eliminate each other, and if at any point they both conquest for similar desires, it is impossible to do so, because only one can enjoy such liberty. In process of all this Hobbes explains that these once calm rivals, become...