Episode #026 ... Thomas Hobbes pt. 1 - The Social Contract

In this episode of the podcast, the host introduces a thought experiment about living under a monarchy to frame a discussion of Thomas Hobbes's "Leviathan." The host provides background on Hobbes's life, including his experience during the English Civil War, which influenced his views on government and human nature. The host explains Hobbes's concept of the social contract, contrasting the chaotic "state of nature" with the order that government provides. According to Hobbes, in the state of nature, life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" because there is no morality, only a constant war for self-preservation. The host details Hobbes's belief that humans are fundamentally selfish, driven by competition, diffidence, and glory. To escape this state, people must enter a social contract, forfeiting some freedoms to a sovereign power that enforces laws and maintains peace. The host concludes by introducing Hobbes's concept of natural law, derived from the fundamental goal of self-preservation, and encourages listeners to review Hobbes's 19 natural laws in preparation for the next episode.