The State of Nature

A simple argument:

1. If the state of nature is worse than life with the government, then government is justified.

2. The state of nature is worse than life with the government.

3. Therefore, government is justified.

Hobbes

Definitions

Power: present ability to obtain some (future, apparent) goods.

Appetites (and Aversions): attitudes toward things that motivate toward acquisition (or avoidance).

State of War: A state of perpetual competition between people. Everyone is fighting everyone else. Life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”.

Prisoner's Dilemma

	Person 2 Trusts	Person 2 Betrays
Person 1 Trusts	Small reward for 1, Small Reward for 2	Big Punishment for 1, Big Reward for 2
Person 1 Betrays	Big Reward for 1, Big Punishment for 2	Small Punishment for 1, Small Punishment for 2

Individual Reasoning: Whatever the other person does, I’m better off if I betray.

Group Reasoning: The best thing for the group is for both to trust.

How the state of nature turns into the state of war:

1) If there are not enough goods to go around, people must increase their power to acquire and secure goods. (Premise)

2) There are not enough goods to go around. (Premise)

3) Therefore, people must increase their power to acquire and secure goods. (From 1 and 2)

4) If people try to increase their power, then a state of war will result. (Premise)

5) Therefore, a state of war will result. (From 3 and 4)

Locke

Argument for the right to enforce the natural law

1) If it is ever just for a government to punish someone that is not a citizen of that government, then there must be a natural right to punish.

2) It is sometimes just for a government to punish someone that is not a citizen of that government.

3) Therefore there must be a natural right to punish.

Rousseau

Argument for Natural Compassion

1) If people did not have a natural sense of compassion, then people would not now act morally.

2) People do act morally now.

3) Therefore, people do have a natural sense of compassion.

A “Just So” Story

Ø People have a drive to better the conditions in which they live.

Ø Initial improvements create leisure time.

Ø Leisure time creates artificial needs and corrupted desires.

§ We lose self-sufficiency and natural abilities

§ We acquire greed.

Ø Once “soft” we need a government to prevent the state of war from arising.