Hobbes’ State of Nature: Human Behavior and the Case for Absolute Sovereignty Introduction Thomas Hobbes, writing during the turbulence of the English Civil War, developed a radical and systematic theory of political authority rooted in his conception of human nature and the anarchic condition he termed the "state of nature." His seminal work, Leviathan (1651), … Continue reading How does Thomas Hobbes’ conception of the state of nature inform his understanding of human behavior, and in what ways does it justify the necessity of an absolute sovereign for the establishment of social order and political authority?
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Critically examine the role of individualism in Hobbes’ theory of absolutism, with reference to his conception of human nature and the state.
The Role of Individualism in Hobbes’ Theory of Absolutism: Human Nature, the State, and Sovereign Power AbstractThomas Hobbes’ political theory, most famously articulated in Leviathan (1651), is often read as a robust defense of absolute sovereign power. Yet at its core lies a strikingly modern conception of individualism: Hobbes grounds his theory of political authority … Continue reading Critically examine the role of individualism in Hobbes’ theory of absolutism, with reference to his conception of human nature and the state.