In Hobbes's view, the natural condition of mankind is a state of what?

In Hobbes's view, the natural condition of mankind is a state of what?

• A. A state of perpetual war
• B. Peaceful coexistence
• C. Ideal community
• D. Egalitarian utopia

Answer: (A)

Without a governing authority, Hobbes argues that humans in the natural condition are driven by fear, competition, and the desire for power, which leads to a war of every person against every other. In such a world there is no security or lasting peace; life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. This perpetual conflict is why the natural condition is not peaceful or utopian, but warlike. The constant threat of violence explains why people consent to a social contract and surrender some freedoms to a sovereign who can enforce order. The other descriptions imply some form of cooperation or tranquility that Hobbes believes would not exist without a common power to restrain self-interest.

Without a governing authority, Hobbes argues that humans in the natural condition are driven by fear, competition, and the desire for power, which leads to a war of every person against every other. In such a world there is no security or lasting peace; life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. This perpetual conflict is why the natural condition is not peaceful or utopian, but warlike. The constant threat of violence explains why people consent to a social contract and surrender some freedoms to a sovereign who can enforce order. The other descriptions imply some form of cooperation or tranquility that Hobbes believes would not exist without a common power to restrain self-interest.