Thomas Hobbes:

Realist Assumptions in Political Philosophy

Jose Angel Anaya

Brief Biography

Thomas Hobbes was born in England in April 5, 1588, Wesport, Wiltshire. Died in

December 4, 1679 in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. This English philosopher is best known

through his political philosophy. “His main concern is the problem of social and political order:

how human beings can live together in peace and avoid the danger and fear of civil conflict.”1 In

his political philosophy, he tries to determine who and how should be elected the sovereign in

charge of leading a nation. His views were divorced from religion and influenced by Machiavelli

who died a century before. Both Hobbes and Machiavelli are considered to be the philosophers of

modern politics. Hobbes was a gifted man in many areas of knowledge: “he was known as a

scientist (especially in optics), as a mathematician (especially in geometry), as a translator of the

classics, as a writer on law, as a disputant in metaphysics and epistemology; not least, he became

notorious for his writings and disputes on religious questions. But it is for his writings on morality

and politics that he has, rightly, been most remembered.” 2

Hobbes had very strong ties with the monarchy to the point that when the Civil Wars of

1642 and 1648 broke up and the Republic was declared, he felt forced to leave the country for fear

of prosecution and lived in France from 1640-1651. “His self-imposed exile in France, along with

his emerging reputation as a scientist and thinker, brought him into contact with major European

intellectual figures of his time, leading to exchange and controversy with figures such as

Descartes, Mersenne and Gassendi.”3

1
Williams, Garrath. (n.d.). Thomas Hobbes. In Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Lancaster University. Retrieved
from: https://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/
2
Ibid. Life and times.
3
Ibid. Life and times.
Realist Political Philosophy

What interested me the most from Hobbes, being such a balanced thinker, was his reaction

against religious authority, especially scholastic theology, and on the other hand, his involvement

with the scientific method that, with the influence of Francis Bacon was taking a prominent place

not only in England but all Europe. In his masterpiece, Leviathan, Hobbes speaks about the use of

our senses and memory are instrumental to experience from which, by deduction he describes the

raising of science. “By this it appears that Reason is not as Sense, and Memory, borne with us;

nor gotten by Experience onely, as Prudence is; but attained by Industry; first in apt imposing of

Names; and secondly by getting a good and orderly Method in proceeding from the Elements,

which are Names, to Assertions made by Connexion of one of them to another; and so to

Syllogismes, which are the Conexions of one Assertion to another, till we come to aknowledge of

all the Consecuences of names appertaining to the subject in hand; and that is it, men call

SCIENCE.”4

Another aspect of his philosophy worthy to be highlighted, was his strong claims about the

proper relations between religion and state. He was not an atheist but strongly opposed that religion

should not mingle with politics. Separation of religion and state is key in his political philosophy.

On chapter XIII of his book Leviathan, he stresses out the vulnerability and weak nature of

humanity, to the point that he suggests that, to counteract that fact in society, the strong must

sustain the weak, even though reality of competition, and search for glory will incline men to war

more than to peace. Thus, he ends his political position stating that “the passions that incline men

to peace are: fear of death; desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a

4
Hobbes, Thomas. (1904). Leviathan. London: Oxford University Press. 36
hope by their industry to obtain them. And reason suggesteth convenient articles of peace upon

which men may be drawn to agreement.”5 In the way he conceives human beings and societal

tendencies, we see the realism of Hobbes that states his anthropological points of view starting,

not from theoretical concepts but from the crude reality of human nature.

Validity of his philosophy

I consider Thomas Hobbes political philosophy as still applicable and current in our times.

As Strauss affirms “the State is compared to Leviathan, because it and it especially is the 'King of

all the children of pride'. Only the State is capable of keeping pride down in the long run, indeed

it has no other raison d'etre except that man's natural appetite is pride, ambition, and vanity.”6 In

the history of philosophy Hobbes is classified among the pragmatists and also realists. And realist,

because he experienced in his own life the turmoil of power and also, suffered the consequences

of the thirst of power innate in human beings. Another fact very important to the functioning of

society and that is clearly differentiated in countries as the United States is the separation of Church

and State. As Hobbes strongly remarked in chapter XXXII of his book Leviathan, when writing

about the Principles of Christian Politiques, he questions the influence of Church officials in his

time, and the fatal consequences in the politics of his time.

In conclusion, Hobbes political philosophy still has ideas and insights important to consider

in our present society. Even though Hobbes supported absolutist government more than

democracy, his ideas regarding the necessity of science and separation of Church and State are still

current, as the right to have intellectual and moral autonomy as well as natural rights.

5
Hobbes., Leviathan., Chapter XIII. 98
6
Strauss, Leo. (1963). The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: Its Basis and its Genesis. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press. 13.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Williams, Garrath. (n.d.). Thomas Hobbes. In Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Lancaster University. Retrieved from: https://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/

2. Hobbes, Thomas. (1904). Leviathan. London: Oxford University Press.

3. Strauss, Leo. (1963). The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: Its Basis and its Genesis.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press.