Corey Horn

Thomas Hobbes was a 17th century English philosopher whose political philosophy was deeply influenced by the violence and instability of the English Civil War. Writing during a period of political and religious conflict, Hobbes sought to explain why human beings need government and what life might look like without it. In his most famous work, Leviathan, Hobbes argues that without a common political authority, human beings would find themselves in a state of nature characterized by fear, distrust, and conflict. In Chapter 13, Hobbes develops this argument by examining the natural equality of human beings, the three causes of conflict, and the conditions that produce what he calls a “war of all against all.” In this piece, we will critically examine Hobbes’s arguments that life without government would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes makes the case that although human beings are naturally inclined toward conflict, their fear of death and capacity for reason can lead them to establish a common political authority capable of securing peace. But are human beings really so distrustful and dangerous that only a powerful government can prevent society from descending into violence and chaos?