The Logic Of Sovereignty Formulation

Hobbes is one of the most important political thinkers in the history of the modern Western political thoughts, who inherited the realism in political study introduced by Machiavelli, and argued comprehensively the relationship of individual and state based on his theory of natural law and social contract.The most typical theory of state in ancient period, is the theory of Aristotle's political community. Aristotle believed, man was a political animal. As a political community, the city state is formulated naturally, in terms of order, from households to villages, from villages to city states. The purpose of the city state is to lead a morally good life. Hobbes disagreed with Aristotle. He thought that state was not natural, but wholly artificial. The purpose of the state was peaceful life. Order and peace are purposes and focus in his arguments in his moral and political philosophy.Hobbes' social contract theory, with a presupposition of human's state of nature, in which there's a war all against all, based on his natural right theory, argued that in order to fulfill the aim of peaceful life, there must be a great power to govern. This very power should be based on individual's free will and choice, agreed by everybody. It's aim is peaceful life. Then people give up their natural rights, and obey the sovereign. Thus freedom turns to obligation, which generates a tension between individual and sovereign.In Hobbes' state, the sovereign has unlimited power. He has the power to make laws, but then is not limited by the laws he makes. And he has all powers on tax, war, judicial system and academic field. All these powers are unalienable. And the freedom of the citizens is limited by laws, and they have no means to revolt. Thus, we say that Hobbes ' theory is a kind of absolutism.Although his monarchy absolutism is anti-liberalism, he produced deep effect on the modern liberalism.