The Theories of Thomas Hobbes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Theories of Thomas Hobbes - Essay Example Talking about Hobbes’s state of equality, he strongly believed that we as human tend to be very watchful of the differences that lie between all individuals: differences that distinguish the diverse individuals from each other. For example he said that some of us tend to perceive others as smarter or wiser than ourselves, however, what we fail to take into account is that the bulk of the people around us are more or less the same as ourselves, particularly in thought. Such was the way in which Hobbes defined equality of human nature, that given a particular situation many of the individuals would react to it much in the same way. Moreover, Hobbes felt that all human beings were materialistic beings, motivated by nothing so much as they are motivated by self-interest, thus the term egoism (Clarke, 1995). This self-interest which dominates human nature in Hobbes’s point of view is the root cause of all chaos and anarchy that has ever prevailed throughout human history. Hobbes believed that if ever in a dilemma, an individual will always choose the alternative which benefits him the most, irrespective the extent of damage that it may cause to anyone else. This egoism of man never allows him to be content with what he has. Rather it requires him to constantly desire more and more power than he already has. Consequently, Hobbes described his â€Å"State of Nature,† which was from the nature made by God as one would normally expect it to be. The Hobbes's State of Nature is one which any known State can undergo at a time of absolute chaos and anarchy.