In What Sense, Does Law Of Nature Regulate The Behavior... Essay - 926 words

In what sense, does law of nature regulate the behavior of individuals in Hobbes's state of nature? Within the scope of this report, we will discuss Hobbes views on the State of Nature. Determining how humans exist in a state of nature became an important factor in determining why man evolved to form civilized society. The state of nature describes human nature and human interaction with all effects of political institutions and civilized society stripped away. Theoretically, human beings in a state of nature will only exhibit those behaviors and characteristics that are basic to our species. By determining what these characteristics and behaviors are, we can better understand how and why we evolved to where we are now, and consequently, gain a better understanding of humanity in general. Hobbes views the human person in an eight-part structure, material; man is a material body interacting with matter within the world, sensing; humans senses are the receptors of mater in the material world, radically individual; each human senses one form of matter different than another and thus our experiences are individually isolated, passionate; humans are fixated by pleasure and pain, power-seeking; because of mans fixation towards pleasure and pain they are constantly seeking power in order to satisfy these passions, equal; man is equal to one another due to their radical differences in experience, free; mans individuality allows no one person to have authority over another, and reasoning; because man is power-seeking he tries to find efficient ways to purging his passions. (Hobbes 99-100) Through this mapping of the state of man it is apparent that Hobbes merely views humans as independently self-interested. The emergence of political society for Hobbes rises through the experience of life in the natural state of all against all. Because humans are inclined to seek pleasure and avoid that which causes them pain, eventually through experiences of excessive pain in the natural state they would try to find a way to get out of this state.


In coming together on the mere basis of ending pain and live together in such a way that all can still seek out pleasuring effects with out infringing harm on others they form a society. Freedom in the state of nature is a very important concept to consider. Without the limitless potential for complete personal liberty, true human nature would not be allowed to surface in individuals. Firstly, freedom exists in a state of nature because of the lack of anything to hinder it. There are no institutions to make and enforce law, nor are there any institutions in place to punish those who harm others. (Hobbes 136) Those who exist in a state of nature exist in a s ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: hobbes, new york, human nature, civilized, regulate

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