Student Question
What does Hobbes mean by the "natural condition" of humans, and how does it relate to living without a common power?
Quick answer:
This question is a bit tricky, because it is possible to interpret Hobbes's "natural condition of mankind" in different ways. On one interpretation, the natural condition is a state of nature or anarchy, where there is no common power to keep men in awe. On another interpretation, the natural condition is closer to the way things are now than most people think; this is a state of affairs in which all men try their best to get what they want without regard for others and without any restraint from society. The first interpretation suggests that the ideal "common power" would impose some order on human affairs and preserve peace; the second interpretation suggests that a common power would merely seek to preserve order, but not necessarily promote peace.
In chapter 13 of Leviathan, Hobbes addresses "the natural condition of mankind." He says that this natural condition is one of equality, since the differences between men are fairly trivial. While some men are stronger than others, the difference in strength is not very great so that the weakest man is able to kill the strongest, either by some kind of subterfuge or by joining together with others.
Unlike a romantic or utopian socialist, Hobbes does not think this relative equality of men is fortunate or desirable, since it includes within it the origins of conflict. Because men are approximately equal in strength, they are inclined to compete for whatever they want, since each one believes he has a reasonable chance of attaining it. This means that equality leads directly to war and that peace is not part of the natural condition of mankind.
This is what Hobbes means when he says that it is part of our natural condition for men to "live without a common power to keep them all in awe." This condition is synonymous with war. War, for Hobbes, does not consist only of actual fighting but of a precarious state of society in which fighting might break out at any time. This is why a common power is needed, to impose order on the condition of mankind and prevent it from degenerating into constant violence.
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