Rousseau s View On State Of Nature - 1551 Words

In Philosophy the argument of the state of nature often comes into discussion. However, two mainstream philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Jean- Jacques Rousseau have similarities, but mostly have multiple different ideas on this theory. Although Hobbes makes valid points Rousseau s view on state of nature is more realistic then Hobbes. Rousseau’s view on the state of nature is interpreted as a forest, and refers to the â€Å"savage man†. He begins by explaining how he relates man to an animal he states â€Å"when I strip that being†¦ I see an animal less strong than some, less agile the others, but all in all, the most advantageously organized of all† (Discourse of Inequality, 47). Rousseau believes that if you would leave man in the wild he would†¦show more content†¦In Hobbes book Leviathan, he makes the natural man out to be a self obsessed monster who is only interested in his own self preservation. This would intern leave the state of nature to be consumed with war, â€Å"...because the condition of man is conditions of war of everyone against everyone†. With out the constrain of government Hobbes states â€Å"So that in the state of nature man will find three principal causes of quarrel: first, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory† (Leviathan, 76). These principles would then leave men in the state of nature, with a life that Hobbes describes as â€Å"solitary, poor nasty, brutish, and short† (Leviathan, 76). Over all Hobbes view on the state of nature is a materialistic world where without an â€Å"absolute sovereign† the life of man would be nothing more then the â€Å"state of war†. The two views on the state of nature given by Rousseau and Hobbes have similarities and differences. Of the differences, the first is how each philosopher views the state of nature in itself. Rousseau’s view on the state of nature is the state of equality. The savage is his own noble. On the other hand, in Hobbes state of nature it is nothing more than a state of war. This state of nature is where fear rules, all the people in this state only concern themselves with staying alive, morality does not exist. Another difference between their views is the motivation structure. In Rousseau’s state the people are completely sovereign, each person rules overShow MoreRelatedHobbes And Rousseau s Views On The State Of Nature868 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent views on one central issue. For example Thomas Hobbes, and Jean Jacques Rousseau interpret a Man’s Nature very differently from each other. The discussion over Man’s Nature brings light to Hobbes underlying rea son of why people established political societies, and Rousseau’s question of what causes a mans misery? In Hobbes case he believes that Men need to find self-protection in order to shield themselves from men’s natural state of misery and fear. 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