Justine Tomines

GL PHIL 2923

January 31, 2011

Hobbes’ Human Nature

Thomas Hobbes’ view in his work, Leviathan, claims that the state of nature

would be a war of ‘every man against every man’. In this paper, I will discuss the

minimal assumptions about human nature that Hobbes needs in order to make his claim

about the state of nature true. While Hobbes put forth many arguments to provide

strength to this claim, there are a selected few assumptions that I believe are imperative to

establish the war within the state of nature.

The first assumption that is needed to establish Hobbes’ claim is man’s desire for

power. He puts forth “a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual power after power,

that ceaseth only in death” (Hobbes, 58). I believe that this is an assumption that is

needed to prove Hobbes’ claim as it assumes that our natural desire is to gain and

continue to gain power. This desire leads to war because when two people want the same

thing, they become enemies in an attempt to destroy each other. Without a common

power to unite people, there would be a war between every man as each individual

desires more and more power over other individuals.

Another assumption that I believe is needed in order to establish Hobbes’ claim is

the belief that all people are created equally, including equal in their capability to kill one

another. While one man may be physically stronger or more intelligent than another, “the

weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest” (Hobbes, 74). I believe that this is an
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important assumption to Hobbes’ claim in connection with man’s desire for power

because if individuals attempt to destroy one another to gain power, they will only do so

if they know they have the capability to destroy the other. If each individual knows that

they are equally capable to kill each other, the natural desire for power will continue

within an individual.

In addition to humans having a natural desire to gain power, as well as being

created equally, I believe that the assumption that all humans have a natural tendency to

seek self-preservation is an important one. “The voluntary actions and inclinations of all

men tend, not only to the procuring, but also to the assuring of a contented life” (Hobbes,

57) and due to this natural tendency, individuals will go out of their way in order to seek

self-preservation, including destroying another to get it. This destructive behaviour in

order to obtain self-preservation would lead to war just like the other two assumptions

would.

These three assumptions can be summed up in the three principal causes of

quarrel that Hobbes writes in Leviathan – competition, diffidence and glory. “The first

[competition] maketh men invade for gain; the second [diffidence], for safety; and the

third [glory], for reputation” (Hobbes, 76). These causes mirror that of power, self-

preservation and equality.

It does not matter whether human beings are initially ill- or well-intentioned

toward one another because the intent behind the desire for power and self-preservation

does not matter in the state of nature. For those who have initial ill intentions, they would

obtain power and seek self-preservation the exact same way as those who have initial

well intentions.
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In conclusion, the assumption that individuals have a natural desire to obtain

power, to seek self-preservation, as well as their relatively equal physical strength are the

minimal assumptions about human nature that Hobbes needs in order to establish his

claim that the state of nature would be a war of all men against one another.
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Works Cited

Thomas Hobbes. “Excerpts from Leviathan: With Selected Variants From the

Latin Edition of 1668” from Leviathan: With Selected Variants from the Latin Edition of

1668, Edwin Curley, ed(s)., Hackett Pub. Co. © 1994, 59 Pages. Within the Course Kit.