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Example research essay topic: State Of Nature Law Of Nature - 929 words

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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 state of perfect freedom to order their actions, dispose of their possessions and persons as they see fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. (Hobbes 129) For some, this definition of freedom in a state of nature might not be that easy to conceive because it is so drastically different from what we refer to as freedom in western civilized society. Freedom to do what one wants, to whom one wants, without any fear of legal repercussion, although instantly appealing to some dark part of our psyches, would lead to the degeneration of civilized society.

Although we like to think of ourselves as free, certain limits to our freedom protect us from being completely free. Freedom in a state of nature could potentially be very counter-productive to survival if humans, generally speaking, were not endowed with two important characteristics: reason and conscience. Just as a human is bound to preserve his or her own life, when not fighting for ones survival, it is important to preserve the lives of others. Because of the benefits of reason and conscience, it seems that people have a natural sense of what is right and wrong, and have the ability to enforce these views. Hobbes states that it has been our tradition in modern society to blame inequality as a contributing factor in the cause of conflict. (Hobbes 74) Throughout our civilized history, political inequality, economic inequality, ideological difference, and even class differences have been major causes of strife around the world. This is why it may be hard at first to understand why, in a state of nature, equality and not inequality is blamed as the cause of conflict.

Generally, humans share the same basic ability, though the ability would be divided into a varying proportion of attributes. This meant that all humans in a natural state would have an equal chance of obtaining the same desirable end. From this equality of ability, arises equality of hope in the attaining of the ends. And therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies; and in the way to their end, endeavor to destroy, or subdue one another. (Robertson, p. 184) In Hobbes state of nature, law of nature regulates the behavior of individuals, since individuals are not capable of controlling this very behavior. (Robertson, p. 193).

Hobbes suggests that the law of nature is a cornerstone of a persons behavior, and that is why civilized societies need governments and social order in order to control the behavior of the individuals, since if the state of nature is allowed to prevail, numerous conflicts will occur between individuals. Words count: 888. Bibliography: Hobbes, T. Leviathan. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1990. Robertson, G.

C. Hobbes. New York: Random House, 1986.


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Research essay sample on State Of Nature Law Of Nature

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