Thomas Hobbes- Leviathan (1651) H-SS- Describe the Enlightenment and the rise of democratic ideas as the context in which the nation was founded.

“Leviathan”-title of Hobbes’ book Hobbes used idea of natural law to argue that an absolute monarchy was the best form of government

Human Nature Humans seen at their worst Selfish Wicked Untrustworthy Dishonest

Humans in Nature-wild, cavemen People are equal but this is bad because they compete for scarce resources-food, shelter, mates, etc. Competition leads to violence over resources-perpetual state of war with everyman against everyman People’s lives would be constant fear and danger of violent death Your life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”

Social Contract The Leviathan (or King) gets his power from the people and consent to live under his laws Leviathan is symbolic for the fear people must have for an absolute monarch Absolute monarch is godlike with unquestionable authority over his subjects life and death

Hobbes believed men had no right to rebel even if a ruler became an unjust tyrant Tyranny was a better condition than the chaos that would result w/o the Leviathan enforcing his laws and providing a safe just society

In summary, Hobbes believed that an absolute monarch was the best form of government He was upset and fearful because England had just been through a civil war and his side which supported an absolute monarch had lost