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The States of Hobbes and Rousseau For an individual to be considered a good citizen, there are certain expectations they must follow to attain this objective. In their books The Leviathan and The Social Contract, Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau create a system of political governing where the citizen plays a certain role and has certain expectations to carry out this role for the governmental system to work properly. Both men have quite different opinions in regards to the roles of citizens and how they support the state. While both are excellent theories and create a strong case for government, neither is applicable in the real world because what is demanded of the citizen in these systems of government is based on certain assumptions, which are not evident to the every-day person. In his brief introduction to Levitation, Thomas Hobbes theorizes the state of nature . He states that all individuals are egocentric by nature. Hobbes states that men spend the entirety of their lives searching for that which makes them happy. For example, when men socialize, it is not to strengthen the bond between them but simply for personal benefit. Hobbes argues that man is self- centered in nature because he desires power . Hobbes argues, not only are men egocentric, but also equal. Hobbes believes that even though every person may have different levels of strength, intelligence or character; all men are equal. “For such is the nature of men that, howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty or more eloquent or more learned, yet they will hardly believe there be so many so wise as themselves, for they see their won wit at hand and other men’s at a distance.” More importantly in dealing with equality, Hobbes believes no matter what power, might or intellect one possesses, his susceptibility to be killed is equal as well. Man is egocentric, so a man’s ego will drive his actions and because of this, a cycle of competition will begin. This cycle of competition can be summed up as the state of nature. In the state of nature, man is trying to fulfill certain needs, such as safety or life. Competition arises from this need to fulfill Because of these common needs, Hobbes believes man searches for peace. Peace is then achieved through a social contract among the members of the society. Before the social contract to even begin, man must find others willing to go along with it. This becomes difficult because man is very untrusting in the state of nature. This distrust, however, is overcome by the fear of death. A fear of death and of equal vulnerability to it is common with all men and the driving force behind men coming together to form a social contract. To create the social contract, every person must give up the right to judge themselves, and hand this power over to a third party, the state. The state is founded on a common belief system held by all the people in the new commonwealth. “The only way to erect such a common power, is, to confrere all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men, that may reduce all their wills, by plurality of voices, unto one will.” The state is all-powerful and cannot be challenged because the contract would then be broken.
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