In the Leviathan, Hobbes declares that the primary urge of all individuals is greed and selfishness. The action / interaction of any individuals with another has only the sole desire of acquiring some logical profit or gain. Even in the matter of personal charity or any other altruistic acts, the ultimate gain would always be towards the individual?s sense of self-worth and well-being.
For these individuals, the primary fears would be those influences that would disrupts or stem their ability to pursue any or all of their selfish needs and ends. Occurrences such as disease, violence, crime and ultimately war are considered the bane of humanity.
Therefore, to maintain a certain amount of peace and stability for the maximum amount of time, individuals are willing observe a sense of legal obedience, forgoing some of their personal freedoms, towards the commonwealth state, on the good faith that the stare will return the favour by maintaining the security and prosperity of the state.
English: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
Book by Thomas Hobbes - Leaviathan, which talks ab...
English: Thomas Hobbes Македонски: То...However, there are some inadequacies in the precepts upon which Hobbes states the state should be administered under. But first, a cursory overview of the political structure and what are its core principles would enlighten in order to understand what the term ?legal obedience? fully signifies in the Leviathan.
In commonwealth state, the sovereign is the sole authoritive figure who will wield veto power and any and all affairs of the state. Thus, logically, any and all laws of the state are created by the sovereign. The sovereign in itself is not subject to his own laws, a condition which helps support the perception of that position as the ultimate word in all state affairs. The only exception to this all-encompassing immunity would be action that would hurt the security of the state, effectively violating the initial...