Although I did recently vote in my first election, I would nevertheless not consider myself to be very politically aware. I hardly even know the names of our representatives for North Carolina. Throughout this semester though, a spark, as to the political origins of our nation and what our forefathers dreamed of creating when first writing our constitution, began to grow inside of me. These are the reasons that I felt reading Hobbes' Leviathan could help me gain some understanding and insight into these issues.

Hobbes' Leviathan: Analysis of its Impact

Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, written against the backdrop of the horrors of the English Civil War, in the mid 1600's, is a discussion about the principles of man's basic need for peace, unity, and security, in both nature and civilization. Essentially arguing in favor of a sovereign monarchy, Hobbes writes in such a manner as to present these basic principles so they could apply to any political system, including that of a democracy. To achieve this, Hobbes presents several questions in this novel. What kind of being is man? What is the nature of man?

What comprises a commonwealth that can successfully govern man? These are the pivotal questions presented in Hobbes' Leviathan.

Having given an understanding as to man's basic nature as being a creation of God, endowed with the above referenced traits, Hobbes then begins to delve into how man lives together resisting his natural tendency toward war. To properly understand how man might live together peacefully, we must first look at why man continues to fail in this regard. Understanding the negatives allows us to potentially control them in order to build a safer and more secure commonwealth. Hobbes addresses this with six key points regarding the differences in man versus the rest of nature. First he states "men are continually in competition for honour and dignity" (225) while nature is not. His second point is that nature does not differentiate the common good with the private good, and since nature is inclined to the private, a hierarchy of mutual needs then allows them to work towards the common benefit. Man on the other hand does know the difference in the common and the private good, and is motivated by enlightened self-interest, finding joy by comparing himself with others. Third, Hobbes suggests that creatures of nature have "Not (as men) the use of reason, [and] do not see, nor think they see any fault, in the administration of their common businesse". While with men, "There are very many who thinke themselves wiser, and abler to govern the publique, better than the rest" (226), thus bringing man to the natural state of war. The fourth point Hobbes makes of man and nature is a simple one. He says that even though creatures have some voice they are incapable of voicing their own desires and other affections, while man can represent to others, something good in the presence of the bad, and vis versa. This ability then diminishes the apparent greatness of work, "Discontenting men, and troubling their peace and their pleasure" (226). Hobbes' fifth point states that "Irrational creatures cannot distinguish between Injury, and Damage" (226), therefore as long as they are at peace they are not offended by others around them. Man on the other hand is "Most troublesome when he is most at ease" (226), because then man finds most pleasurable to show off his wisdom, and attempt to take control from the governing power. Ultimately Hobbes says creatures of nature agree because it is their nature, while men agree by covenant and contract only, which is artificial, and takes constant striving to make the agreement constant and lasting. Based on these cons

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Approximate Word count = 1745
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)