Home > Resources > Homework > Humanities

In Hobbes' Leviathan, how is the transition achieved from the state of nature to a commonwealth, and what moral justifications support the shift from natural liberty to political authority?

Answer 1

Michael Chaney

In Hobbes’ Leviathan, the transition from the state of nature to a commonwealth is achieved through a social contract where individuals collectively agree to surrender their natural liberties to a sovereign authority. This shift is morally justified by the need to escape the anarchic and violent state of nature, ensuring peace, security, and social order.