The New Science of Politics Thomas Hobbes & the Social Contract

The Social Contract Leave State of Nature Enter State of Society Give up the Absolute Right of Property As long as others are willing to do the same Everyone lays down this right for security In order to establish society The Social Contract is not Government. Prior to any government a society must exist No society without the social contract

But is the Social Contract Secure? Mutual distrust may lead the social contract to collapse Social Contract must be enforced Parties in the Social Contract agree to a mechanism of enforcement: But is the Social Contract Secure?

The Sovereign Sovereigns are not rulers Sovereign Subjects However A product of the Social Contract (in fact, the first product of society) Government not possible without a sovereign A Sovereign may be one, few or many Hobbes’ sovereign resembles a ruler Sovereigns are not rulers (except over themselves)

What’s the Difference? Sovereign v. Ruler Gives order to the community Bound only by the telos of the community Governs according to ruler’s conception of the good of the community Limited by one’s own ethos; may be virtuous or defective Inequality with ruled a result of the ruler’s nature Cannot be replaced unless the ruler so orders. Otherwise the community is changed or destroyed First product of orders of the Social Contract Bound by the terms of the Social Contract Governs according to the needs of the Social Contract Limited by duty to enforce the Social Contract Inequality with subjects a result of society’s demand for security May be replaced by another if the sovereign fails to enforce the Social Contract What’s the Difference?

So, to Summarize Hobbes Human beings are alike in their nature Human nature is best seen in the absence of society State of Nature so bad, so dangerous that we must leave it to form societies Societies depend on a social contract among its members Terms of Hobbes’ social contract: exchange rights for security Sovereigns established by societies to enforce the social contract Sovereigns don’t make the social contract Sovereigns limited by the needs of the social contract Sovereigns may be replaced when they fail to enforce the social contract.