You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Andrè Gide
Idea Transcript
Human Nature and Conflict
Paul Boaheng
The State of Nature: It is the human condition outside of organized society or civilization. Hobbes’ Method (Chapters 13-14) (a) Suppose a human condition in which no one has duties to fellows, duties to obey others. (b) Try to understand why and how duties would arise among prudent persons and what they would be. Conditions in the state of nature (1) Right of Nature: Right/liberty to assess each situation case by case in terms of what contributes to my good. “The liberty each man hath to use his power, as he will himselfe, for the preservation of his own nature…(Chap 14, p. 189) “every man has a right to everything; even to one another’s body. (p. 190) (2) No general rules, and no common standard of good and evil (3) The words just and unjust, duties and obligations have no meaning independently of what individuals’ desire. (c/f his subjectivity with respect to values) Causes of Conflict: 1. Competition: Scarcity brings about incessant war. 2. Diffidence: The realization that others are competing for the goods that one has seized leads to distrust resulting in preemptive strikes. 3. Glory: Our desire for glory drives us into a war of every person against every other. Some “Built-in” Assumptions 1) Equality in Physical strength and prudence (Chap. 13, p. 183) 2) No common power/ governmental authority in place. 3) Self-interest; concern with others good in so far as it promotes our own good 4) Conflict of desires 5) Scarcity of goods Results of this: life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short, resulting in war of all against all. (Chap. 13, 186) The Way Out: The Laws of Nature (Chapter 14): The Laws of Nature: Theorems about means to peace. Law 1: Seek Peace Law 2: Lay Down the Right of Nature: abridge the right of nature to the extent that, and so long as, others do so as well.
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Contract and Covenant. Several individuals abridge rights on condition that others do so as well. Law 3: Perform Contracts. Peace will not be attained unless people perform their obligations. Injustice = the non-performance of covenant. Peace: requires common coercive civil authority (Contra Hume). Necessity of Coercive Power (1) No covenant valid where fear of non-performance by others (2) Fear of non-performance diminishes only with common coercive terrifying power Why lack of coercive power leads to chaotic state Hobbes’ psychological theory about the nature of people: Human beings are by nature selfish and egoistic. Q: Is Hobbes’s psychological theory about human nature of people accurate?