Thomas Hobbes Natural Condition Of Mankind

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Mariana Goncalves
Alexandra White
Expository Writing 1
9 September 2014
Liberty: The Origin of Mankind’s Misery Man’s true nature is a topic that has been disputed continuously throughout history. In the “Of Man” excerpt from Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes presents his argument in chapter thirteen, “Of the Natural Condition of Mankind as Concerning Their Felicity and Misery.” Hobbes argues that men are all given the same qualities to work with: body, mind and liberty. What causes chaos between men is the desire to rule and the fear of being ruled, causing men to put these given qualities into destructive uses. Hobbes argues that misery goes hand in hand with the liberty that is given to men. The overarching idea in Hobbes’s argument is that men provoke conflict within one another for three main reasons: competition, lack of confidence, and thirst for power; Simultaneously, men fear the idea of inevitable death and become inclined to restore peace in order to avoid it. Hobbes explains that this is an unbreakable cycle that no man in natural condition can fix. …show more content…
Hobbes explains that those who are equal in status have no reason to plot against each other. In fact, they often agree to work together in order to protect their kind. Although men are equally willing to collaborate for their own benefit, they are also equally vain and self-centered. When two or more men pursue something that can only be obtained by one, all who are in that same pursuit become enemies. Hobbes continues to say that power and possessions bring pleasure and delight. Those who cause conflict for gains only want to have more power in relation to others. Men do not want other men to conquer them, so they take the initiative to conquer others solely to set a reputation for

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