Today

1
Today

• Very quick review of SoNSoW
• Objections and replies to SoNSoW
• Additional consequences of SoNSoW Hobbess
  ethical Egoism
• Escaping the state of nature

2

• First step egoism
• Second step scarcity
• Third step equality
• Fourth step competition
• Fifth step mistrust (diffidence)
• Sixth step anticipatory attacks
• Seventh step power-madness
• Eighth step glory-seeking
• Conclusion War of All Against All

3
Will we really be in constant battle in SoN?

• Wont we be able to hide out in peace for a fair
  amount of time?

4
Will we really be in constant battle in SoN?

• War consisteth not in battle only, or the act of
  fighting, but in a tract of time wherein the will
  to contend by battle is sufficiently known.

5
Will we really be in constant battle in SoN?

• Its like bad weather. For as the nature of
  foul weather lies not in a shower or two of rain,
  but in an inclination thereto of many days
  together, so the nature of war consists not in
  actual fighting, but in the known disposition
  thereto during all the time there is no assurance
  to the contrary.

6
Will we really be in constant battle in SoN?

• A state of war is not a state of constant battle.
  
• A state of war is a state of continual
  insecurity.
• In a state of war, long-term peaceful cooperation
  is impossible.
• Thats enough to make it really bad.

7
Why no cooperation in SoN?

• Why cant we form non-aggression pacts with each
  other?
• Why cant I agree to help, or at least not
  attack, you so long as you agree to do the same?
• Why cant people in the state of nature make
  contracts (or promises or covenants) with each
  other?

8

• One obstacle to contracts in the state of nature
• Power-madness
• Another obstacle
• Glory-seeking
• A third obstacle
• Extreme scarcity

9

• Main obstacle to contracts in SoN
• No enforcement mechanism

10

• For he that performs his end of the contract
  first has no assurance the other will perform
  after, because the bonds of words are too weak to
  bridle mens ambition, avarice, anger, and other
  passions, without the fear of some coercive
  power which in the condition of mere nature
  cannot possibly be supposed.

11

• And covenants, without the sword, are but words,
  and no strength to secure a man at all.
• The force of words is too weak to hold men to
  the performance of their covenants.

12

• Does Hobbes think its rational to keep contracts
  in the state of nature but people will fail to do
  so because theyll give in to temptation?
• Or does Hobbes think its irrational to keep
  contracts in the state of nature?

13

• There will be no contracts in the Hobbesian state
  of nature because parties there are in a
  Prisoners Dilemma.

14
Prisoners Dilemma
15
(No Transcript)
16

• We might object that the state of nature is not
  like a Prisoners Dilemma because
• We have all sorts of personal connections to
  other people that Dave and Henry dont seem to
  have.
• We interact with the same people numerous times
  over many years.

17

• Why cant people in the state of nature form
  cooperative, egalitarian groups devoted to mutual
  defense?

18
Why cant we form peaceful groups in SoN?

• If the group is small
• it will be overwhelmed by a larger group.
• If the group is large and it has defeated its
  enemies
• the members will inevitably disagree about
  leadership, which will eventually lead them into
  war with each other.

19

• But bees and ants naturally live together in
  cooperative, peaceful groups, so why cant humans?

20
Differences between humans and bees/ants

• Humans compete for honor and dignity, which bees
  and ants do not.

21
Differences between humans and bees/ants

• Bees and ants do not distinguish between the
  common good and the private good, but humans do.

22
Differences between humans and bees/ants

• Unlike bees and ants, humans have reason, which
  leads them to think they can do things better
  than others, which in turn leads to disagreement.

23
Differences between humans and bees/ants

• Bees and ants do not have the language that
  enables them to deceive and anger each other, but
  humans do.

24
Differences between humans and bees/ants

• Humans distinguish between injury and damage,
  but bees and ants do not.

25
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• People wouldnt be in constant battle in the
  state of nature.
• Answer
• War is a time of constant fear and insecurity,
  not necessarily constant battle.

26
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• In the state of nature, people would form
  non-aggression pacts and cooperative ventures.
• Answer 1
• Power-madness, glory-seeking, extreme scarcity.

27
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• In the state of nature, people would form
  non-aggression pacts and cooperative ventures.
• Answer 2
• When there is no enforcement mechanism, peoples
  motive to violate the agreement will overwhelm
  their desire to keep their word.

28
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• In the state of nature, people would form
  non-aggression pacts and cooperative ventures.
• Answer 3
• The state of nature is a prisoners dilemma.

29
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• Why cant we form peaceful cooperative
  egalitarian groups in the state of nature?
• Answer 1
• If the group is small, it will be overwhelmed by
  a larger group.

30
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• Why cant we form peaceful cooperative
  egalitarian groups in the state of nature?
• Answer 2
• If the group is large and has defeated its
  enemies, the members will disagree about
  leadership and become at war with each other.

31
SoNSoW Objections and Replies (summary)

• Objection
• But bees and ants live together peacefully and
  cooperatively in nature.
• Answer
• Human nature is different from bee and ant nature.

32

• Psychological Egoism humans always do what they
  think is in their own interests.
• Ethical Egoism humans ought always to do what
  really is in their own long-term rational
  self-interests.
• Hobbess Ethical Egoism humans ought always to
  do what really will best promote their own
  survival.

33
In the State of Nature/State of War

• There exists the Right of Nature, which is the
  liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he
  will himself, for the preservation of his own
  nature, that is to say, of his own life, and
  consequently of doing anything which, in his own
  judgment and reason, he shall conceive to be the
  aptest means thereunto.
• There also exists the Law of Nature, by which a
  man is forbidden to do that which is destructive
  of his life or taketh away the means of
  preserving the same, and to omit that by which he
  thinketh it may be best preserved.

34

• Is self-interest really all there is to morality?
• Even in the state of nature, could killing an
  innocent person ever really be right?
• Even in the state of nature, do we lack all
  obligation to help, or at least not hurt, others?

35

• Should we try to escape the state of nature or
  should we continue to fight everyone else?

36

• It is a general rule of reason that every man
  ought to endeavor peace, as far as he has hope of
  obtaining it, and when he cannot obtain it, that
  he may seek and use all helps and advantages of
  war. Seek peace and follow it. But by all means
  you can, defend yourself.

37

• A man should be willing, when others are so too,
  as much as peace and self-defence requires, to
  lay down his right to all things, and be
  contented with so much liberty against other men,
  as he would allow other men against himself.

38

• The goal of self-preservation demands that we get
  ourselves out of that miserable condition of war.
  But it also demands fighting if that gives you
  the best chance of survival.

39

• Be peaceful if others are willing to be peaceful.
  But if others are going to fight, fight like
  hell.
• Hobbesian Version of the Golden Rule
• Treat others as they are treating you.
• (The Bronze Rule? The Brazen Rule?)

40

• How can we escape the state of nature?

41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)
43

• The answer to how we escape SoN
• By conferring all our power and strength upon
  one man that may reduce all our wills by
  plurality of voices, unto one will.

44

• The answer to how we escape SoN
• By each person saying to every other person, I
  authorise and give up my right of governing
  myself to this person on this condition, that
  thou give up thy right to him, and authorize all
  his actions in like manner.

45

• Note the difference between this agreement and
  the unstable egalitarian groups we discussed
  earlier.

46
The Leviathan
47
(No Transcript)
48

• The person to whom is given all the power and
  strength is sovereign.
• The people who have agreed to obey the sovereign
  are subjects.
• The sovereign and subjects together constitute a
  commonwealth.