Examples Of Thomas Hobbes Without A Social Contract
“Without a social contract there would be no morality...”
In this essay I will be debating whether moral motivation is purely existent as a result of a ‘social contract’ through an insight to conflicting philosophers’ hypothesis.
The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes supported the idea that a social contract is necessary in order for a moral society to be attainable. Hobbes argued that morality would be non-existent within ‘a state of nature’. This is a society that lives in the absence of a social contract or a superior authority; he then concluded that life of an individual in this society would be “solitary, poor, brutish and short”, inevitably, by having no one to enforce moral behaviour. Hobbes furthered his argument by separating the …show more content…
This meant that Hobbes felt that without a government people would not hesitate to use reason to guide them to the outcome their desires want. Whether or not that desire is good for society will make little difference regarding the actions that are carried out by a person. Therefore an absolute sovereignty is required to force a person to act In such a way that benefits society as a whole; this avoids living in a state of nature. It could be argued that the story of the ‘Lord of the Flies’ is a metaphor for the savage in all of us; that if rules and authority are taken away anything could happen. It is true that people take advantage of this to a certain extent; however, self- interest plays a strong part in one’s actions, perhaps subconsciously, in conjunction with the want to be a moral …show more content…
Rousseau argued that primitive people have two basic emotions: self-preservation and repulsion at the suffering of others. It seems apparent that these two features could from a basic for co-operative living, however, he felt that amongst this civilization and the rules that go with it tend to corrupt people. For instance, having introduced the idea of ‘private property’, initial conditions of inequality became more pronounced. Some have property and others are forced to work for them and subsequently the development of social classes and resentment begins. Obviously this destroys the simplicity and co-operative possibilities of the primitive
In this essay I will be debating whether moral motivation is purely existent as a result of a ‘social contract’ through an insight to conflicting philosophers’ hypothesis.
The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes supported the idea that a social contract is necessary in order for a moral society to be attainable. Hobbes argued that morality would be non-existent within ‘a state of nature’. This is a society that lives in the absence of a social contract or a superior authority; he then concluded that life of an individual in this society would be “solitary, poor, brutish and short”, inevitably, by having no one to enforce moral behaviour. Hobbes furthered his argument by separating the …show more content…
This meant that Hobbes felt that without a government people would not hesitate to use reason to guide them to the outcome their desires want. Whether or not that desire is good for society will make little difference regarding the actions that are carried out by a person. Therefore an absolute sovereignty is required to force a person to act In such a way that benefits society as a whole; this avoids living in a state of nature. It could be argued that the story of the ‘Lord of the Flies’ is a metaphor for the savage in all of us; that if rules and authority are taken away anything could happen. It is true that people take advantage of this to a certain extent; however, self- interest plays a strong part in one’s actions, perhaps subconsciously, in conjunction with the want to be a moral …show more content…
Rousseau argued that primitive people have two basic emotions: self-preservation and repulsion at the suffering of others. It seems apparent that these two features could from a basic for co-operative living, however, he felt that amongst this civilization and the rules that go with it tend to corrupt people. For instance, having introduced the idea of ‘private property’, initial conditions of inequality became more pronounced. Some have property and others are forced to work for them and subsequently the development of social classes and resentment begins. Obviously this destroys the simplicity and co-operative possibilities of the primitive