Hellow friend today we would like to read about the political absolutism in politics.
The heart of Hobbes’ political philosophy is his theory of sovereignty. He was not the first to
use the term sovereignty in its modern sense. It is beyond dispute that before and after Thomas
Hobbes the doctrine of sovereignty has been defended by various scholars on various grounds.
Hobbes was perhaps the first thinker to defend the sovereignty of the state on scientific grounds
Hobbes freed the doctrine of sovereignty of limitations imposed by Jean Bodin and Hugo Grotius.
Hobbes saw the sovereign power as undivided, unlimited, inalienable and permanent. The
contract created the state and the government simultaneously. The sovereign power was authorised
to enact laws as it deemed fit and such laws were legitimate Hobbes was categorical that the powers
and authority of the sovereign has to be defined with least ambiguity.
The following are some of the major attributes of Hobbesian sovereign.
1. Sovereign is absolute and unlimited and accordingly no conditions implicit or explicit can be
imposed on it. It is not limited either by the rights of the subjects or by customary and
statutory laws.
Sovereignty is not a party to the covenant or contract. A sovereign does not exist prior to the
to the commencement of the contract. Contract was signed between men in the state of
nature mainly to escape from a state of war of every man against every man. The contract is
irrevocable.
3. The newly created sovereign can do no injury to his subjects because he is their authorised
agent. His actions cannot be illegal because he himself is the sole source and interpreter of
laws.
4. No one can complain that sovereign is acting wrongly because everybody has authorised him
to act on his behalf.
5. Sovereign has absolute right to declare war and make peace, to levy taxes and to impose
penalties.
6. Sovereign is the ultimate source of all administrative, legislative and judicial authority.
According to Hobbes, law is the command of the sovereign.
7. The sovereign has the right to allow or takes away freedom of speech and opinion
.
8. The sovereign has to protect the people externally and internally for peace and preservation
were basis of the creation of the sovereign or Leviathan. Thus Hobbesian sovereign
represents the ultimate, supreme and single authority in the state and there is no right of
resistance against him except in case of self defence. According to Hobbes, any act of
disobedience of a subject is unjust because it is against the covenant. Covenants without
swords are but mere words. Division or limitation of sovereignty means destruction of
sovereignty which means that men are returning to the old state of nature where life will be
intolerably miserable.
By granting absolute power to the sovereign, some critics went to the extent of criticising Hobbes as
the ‘spiritual father of totalitarian fascism or communism’ However, William Ebenstein in his well
known work ‘ Great Political Thinkers’ has opposed this charge on following grounds. First,
government is set up according to Hobbes, by a covenant that transfers all power. This contractual
foundation of government is anathema to the modern totalitarians second, Hobbes assigns to the
state a prosaic business; to maintain order and security for the benefit of the citizens. By contrast,
the aim of the modern totalitarian state is anti-individualistic and anti hedonistic. Third Hobbesian
state is authoritarian, not totalitarian. Hobbes’ authoritaritarianism lacks one of the most
characteristic features of the modern totalitarian state: inequality before the law, and the resultant
sense of personal insecurity. Fourth, Hobbes holds that the sovereign may be one man or an
assembly of men, whereas modern totalitarianism is addicted to the leadership principle. The
Hobbesian sovereign is a supreme administrator and law giver but not a top rabble rouser,
spellbinder, propagandist, or showman. Fifth, Hobbes recognises that war is one of the two main
forces that drive men to set up a state. But whenever he speaks of war, it is defensive war, and
there is no glorification of war in the Leviathan. By contrast, totalitarians look on war as something
lightly desirable and imperialist war as the highest form of national life.
Thus it is clear from the above observations that Hobbes’ theory of sovereignty is the first
systematic and consistent statement of complete sovereignty in the history of political thought. His
sovereign enjoys an absolute authority over his subjects and his powers can neither be divided nor
limited either by the law of nature or by the law of God.
Hobbes’ Leviathan is not only a forceful enunciation of the theory of sovereignty but also a powerful
statement of individualism,. As Prof. Sabine has rightly pointed out, in Hobbesian political
philosophy both individualism and absolutism go hand in hand. Granting absolute and unlimited
power to the state is, in essence, an attempt to provide a happy and tension free life to the
individuals.
CONCLUSION
The Leviathan of Hobbes has been regarded as one of the masterpieces of political theory known for
its style, clarity and lucid exposition. He has laid down a systematic theory of sovereignty, human
nature, political obligation etc. Hobbes saw the state as a conciliator of interests, a point of view that
the Utilitarian’s developed in great detail. Hobbes created an all powerful state but it was not
totalitarian monster.
Hobbes is considered as the father of political science: His method was deductive and geometrical
rather than empirical and experimental. His theory of sovereignty is indivisible, inalienable and
perpetual. Sovereign is the sole source and interpreter of laws. Before and after Hobbes, political
absolutism has been defended by different scholars on various grounds. Hobbes was perhaps the
first political thinker to defend political absolutism on scientific grounds.
So this is all about it.
The heart of Hobbes’ political philosophy is his theory of sovereignty. He was not the first to
use the term sovereignty in its modern sense. It is beyond dispute that before and after Thomas
Hobbes the doctrine of sovereignty has been defended by various scholars on various grounds.
Hobbes was perhaps the first thinker to defend the sovereignty of the state on scientific grounds
Hobbes freed the doctrine of sovereignty of limitations imposed by Jean Bodin and Hugo Grotius.
Hobbes saw the sovereign power as undivided, unlimited, inalienable and permanent. The
contract created the state and the government simultaneously. The sovereign power was authorised
to enact laws as it deemed fit and such laws were legitimate Hobbes was categorical that the powers
and authority of the sovereign has to be defined with least ambiguity.
The following are some of the major attributes of Hobbesian sovereign.
1. Sovereign is absolute and unlimited and accordingly no conditions implicit or explicit can be
imposed on it. It is not limited either by the rights of the subjects or by customary and
statutory laws.
Sovereignty is not a party to the covenant or contract. A sovereign does not exist prior to the
to the commencement of the contract. Contract was signed between men in the state of
nature mainly to escape from a state of war of every man against every man. The contract is
irrevocable.
3. The newly created sovereign can do no injury to his subjects because he is their authorised
agent. His actions cannot be illegal because he himself is the sole source and interpreter of
laws.
4. No one can complain that sovereign is acting wrongly because everybody has authorised him
to act on his behalf.
5. Sovereign has absolute right to declare war and make peace, to levy taxes and to impose
penalties.
6. Sovereign is the ultimate source of all administrative, legislative and judicial authority.
According to Hobbes, law is the command of the sovereign.
7. The sovereign has the right to allow or takes away freedom of speech and opinion
.
8. The sovereign has to protect the people externally and internally for peace and preservation
were basis of the creation of the sovereign or Leviathan. Thus Hobbesian sovereign
represents the ultimate, supreme and single authority in the state and there is no right of
resistance against him except in case of self defence. According to Hobbes, any act of
disobedience of a subject is unjust because it is against the covenant. Covenants without
swords are but mere words. Division or limitation of sovereignty means destruction of
sovereignty which means that men are returning to the old state of nature where life will be
intolerably miserable.
By granting absolute power to the sovereign, some critics went to the extent of criticising Hobbes as
the ‘spiritual father of totalitarian fascism or communism’ However, William Ebenstein in his well
known work ‘ Great Political Thinkers’ has opposed this charge on following grounds. First,
government is set up according to Hobbes, by a covenant that transfers all power. This contractual
foundation of government is anathema to the modern totalitarians second, Hobbes assigns to the
state a prosaic business; to maintain order and security for the benefit of the citizens. By contrast,
the aim of the modern totalitarian state is anti-individualistic and anti hedonistic. Third Hobbesian
state is authoritarian, not totalitarian. Hobbes’ authoritaritarianism lacks one of the most
characteristic features of the modern totalitarian state: inequality before the law, and the resultant
sense of personal insecurity. Fourth, Hobbes holds that the sovereign may be one man or an
assembly of men, whereas modern totalitarianism is addicted to the leadership principle. The
Hobbesian sovereign is a supreme administrator and law giver but not a top rabble rouser,
spellbinder, propagandist, or showman. Fifth, Hobbes recognises that war is one of the two main
forces that drive men to set up a state. But whenever he speaks of war, it is defensive war, and
there is no glorification of war in the Leviathan. By contrast, totalitarians look on war as something
lightly desirable and imperialist war as the highest form of national life.
Thus it is clear from the above observations that Hobbes’ theory of sovereignty is the first
systematic and consistent statement of complete sovereignty in the history of political thought. His
sovereign enjoys an absolute authority over his subjects and his powers can neither be divided nor
limited either by the law of nature or by the law of God.
Hobbes’ Leviathan is not only a forceful enunciation of the theory of sovereignty but also a powerful
statement of individualism,. As Prof. Sabine has rightly pointed out, in Hobbesian political
philosophy both individualism and absolutism go hand in hand. Granting absolute and unlimited
power to the state is, in essence, an attempt to provide a happy and tension free life to the
individuals.
CONCLUSION
The Leviathan of Hobbes has been regarded as one of the masterpieces of political theory known for
its style, clarity and lucid exposition. He has laid down a systematic theory of sovereignty, human
nature, political obligation etc. Hobbes saw the state as a conciliator of interests, a point of view that
the Utilitarian’s developed in great detail. Hobbes created an all powerful state but it was not
totalitarian monster.
Hobbes is considered as the father of political science: His method was deductive and geometrical
rather than empirical and experimental. His theory of sovereignty is indivisible, inalienable and
perpetual. Sovereign is the sole source and interpreter of laws. Before and after Hobbes, political
absolutism has been defended by different scholars on various grounds. Hobbes was perhaps the
first political thinker to defend political absolutism on scientific grounds.
So this is all about it.
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