A brief summary of Thomas Hobbes 'De Cive', which discusses the outlines of politics and the creation of the commonwealth. This document outlines the creation of the commonwealth and defines types of sovereign power: power by right, absolute power, obedience of the citizen. Also simply defines diff...
Thomas Hobbes | De Cive
Chapter 1-5 | The goal of politi cs: PEACE
- The problem: ' Man is ... Not born fit for society '
- Natural law does not give us a way out of the state of nature.
Chapter 5-13 | The soluti on: creati on of a COMMONWEALTH
- For a political community we need a common will.
- Accord between brute creatures is natural, but accord between men is artificial.
- Need a common power to instil fear.
How a commonwealth is made?
- Each man subjects his will to the ill of a single other.
Defi niti on of a commonwealth?
- One artificial person that comes as a result of an agreement between individuals to give up their will. It is a single
will.
Defi niti on of sovereign authority?
- The greatest power that is created artificially when we give up our right to everything - 'summam potestatem'
Fear:
- Brought about by a state of nature, by equality.
The sovereign's powers by right:
- sword of justice
- civil law
- opinions and doctrines
- property (no individual property rights outside the commonwealth because everyone owns everything)
Sovereign holds absolute power:
- can't be subject to civil laws
- can't be divided
- can't be subject to any other judgement
- a necessary feature of the commonwealth
Obedience of the citi zen to the Sovereign:
- to the greatest possible power is owed the greatest possible obedience
- not obliged to kill yourself
- not obliged to kill the Sovereign
- not obliged to 'do something worse than death' e.g. Kill a parent
- cannot rightly abolish the sovereign power
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