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Ross Strain
Kinlaw

A Reconciliation of Self and State in Hobbes' Leviathan

In the Leviathan, Hobbes argues for a social contract that involves rule by a sovereign, or monarch, that is instituted by the people. During his discourse Hobbes makes the claim that people are naturally inclined to pursue self interest, while at the same time positing that these very people have a responsibility to the sovereign that rules them. The apparent problem is immediately perceived by the reader – in order to fulfill their responsibility to a sovereign, must they not deny the pursuit of self-interest and replace it with the pursuit of the sovereign's interest? Surely Hobbes is not suggesting that man deny his true nature… is he? Upon further examination of the text the reader discovers that indeed Hobbes does allow for a people to fulfill the interests of the sovereign without denying what he has professed to be human nature. However, we jump too far ahead, in order to understand the......

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Approximate Word Count: 1666
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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