The Necessary Attributes Of Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes writes Leviathan to illustrate that civil peace and social unity are most successfully established through a commonwealth by a social contract. Hobbes portrays the perfect governing figure over the commonwealth to be the “Leviathan”. Throughout Leviathan he is demonstrating the necessary attributes that the perfect Leviathan would require to maintain civil peace and social unity. To understand Leviathan, one must understand Hobbes’ definition of the state of nature as violent, his opinion on human nature to be selfish, a social contract to be originated for security purposes by members of society, and that morality is an integral object in all of this to be successful in achieving a safe peaceful environment. To begin, Hobbes
From this becomes the laws of nature which by Hobbes’ definition are, “found out by reason, by which a man is forbidden to do…” (Leviathan, Ch. XIV). The first natural law states that we must seek peace and try to follow it and the second natural law states that “That a man be willing, when others are so too, as far-forth, as for Peace, and defense of himself, he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself.” (Leviathan, Ch. XIV). In the second law of nature a social contract is created, so that individuals can escape a state of natural war. In other words, a social contract is constructed when individuals agree to give up their personal rights in exchange for a sense of security and is the basis of the notion of moral obligation. To continue, the nineteen laws of nature are a sum of morality and provide evidence that moralities main function is to provide “peaceable, sociable, and comfortable living” (Leviathan, Ch.XV). In essence, social contract and moral laws are formed by society when individuals decide they need peace and