Philosophical Basis for the State

Paper Summary:

This paper states the author's belief that the primary basis for the state's authority over citizens is consent. The author explains that, in spite of the fact that humans are free, they also understand that they need the safety that can only be found in the formation of a state. The paper relates that Rousseau's theory of justice asserted that the laws of the state should always be adhered to if the security of the citizens was going to be preserved.

From the Paper:

"Hobbes and Locke were both social contract theorists, and their beliefs about a commonwealth were similar and were both built on the basis of consent. Now Hobbes also believed that consent was essential to the formation of a state and that the only reason why people give consent to be governed is to serve their own self-interest. Hobbes believed that in the state of nature man is in a condition of war; each man was against each man. He also argued that a man would do anything to preserve his own life even if he had to give up his right to freedom. In the Leviathan he writes, "The passions that incline men to peace are the fear of death." (Hobbes) Hobbes also argued that man desires to live in peace and enjoy the fruits of his labor; he asserted that this could only be done by the formation of a commonwealth based on the consent of the citizens."

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