Freedom, Society, and State - Ludwig von Mises Institute

to fear one another, man could live' in peace. Reason,
con tin u e s Hob b e s, a Iso i n for ms rna n how t 0 a t t a i nth i s
con d i t ion: e a chi n d i v i d u a I wi 1 I r emo ve hi ms elf from
the state of nature by contracting with others similarly
situated to submit to a "common sovereign," who
would be limited only by the extent of his power.
Man contracts out of the state of nature because
such a condition is absolutely intolerable. He submits
to the sovereign because submission is instrumental in
experiencing pleasure, i.e., because of the benefits
a c c r u i n g fro m the ex i s tenceo f the s tat e • And wh a t
benef i ts accrue? Hobbes' answer is, like Plato's,
everything. Without the security supplied by the
sovereign, says Hobbes,
there is no place for Industry; because the
fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently
no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation; nor
use 0 f the commod i ties t hat rna y be imp 0 r ted
by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments
of moving, and removing such things as
require much force; no Knowledge of the face
of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no
Let t e r s; noS 0 C i e t y; and wh i chi s wo r s t 0 f
all cont inuall feare, and danger of violent
death.(24)
In contrast to Plato's state, which would supply
practically everything, Hobbes' sovereign would provide
only security. However, this seemingly significant
difference dissolves when we realize that, for Hobbes,
such secur ity is the prerequisite for everything else.
Hence, like Plato, Hobbes believes that all of the social
benefits we experience on a daily basis flow from
the state.
The crucial difference between Hobbes and the
common-good advocates is that the latter believe that
since the individual benefits from the state he has a
corresponding moral duty to obey. No such duty exists
for Hobbes. Self-preservation is the only law. The
individual is under no moral obligation to obey the
sovereign. He does so only because and so long as his
life is better secured by submission than revolt.
3. THE ARGUMENT FROM CONVENIENCE
An argument simliar to but more moderate than the
Hobbesia'n-necessity justification of the state is pro-
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