Following the first 9 chapters, Hobbes begins to more indepthly explain Human power and its division. Hobbes claims that Human power is divided between Natural and Instrumental power; Natural being the physical and mental strength, and Instrumental being wealth and reputation. Hobbes largely believes that Man is greedy and is power hungry, when in reality I believe man just wants to survive long enough to find joy and peace. Through his geometrical reasoning, I begin to agree with Hobbes as he states that Man looks for peace as he fears death. This peace he claims can be subdued with religion and customs but can only be kept with philosophy. Hobbes then goes on to claim the universe was put into motion by a singular prime entity and all religion is false besides Christianity which is the only religion when combined with philosophy that can create peace. Without peace, the “Human State of nature” will only create fear and death. I very much agree with the idea that Humans are savages when they fear death and need rules to follow. Like the democracy seen in some of the world’s most powerful countries, these basic hobbesian human contracts lay the foundation for future peace.
Hobbes looks at Humans only when they do wrong, and not when they do right. I believe this has caused him to be extremely precocious and untrustworthy of human decision and moral and ultimately making him believe a totalitarian government is the only way to effectively keep peace. You can see this is his 19 laws to keep a contract and avoid the “human state of nature” as he believes humans will slip up and eventually kill each other through greediness. Hobbes looks at natural and social science as one fluent thing: man derives his beliefs from nature and thus it affects him socially.
Book Blog 2016 