Abstract
Hobbes contends that the human state of nature exists where every man is at war with every other man and in order to free ourselves from this state, we must relinquish all of our rights to one unified authority. The intention of this sovereign body is supposedly to serve the good of the people, but the sovereign himself is not subject to any kind of social law or charges of injustice. Thus, Hobbes advocates an authority that assumes absolute power and exists on a superior plane to the citizens who serve it, yet have no ability to influence it whatsoever; by near definition, Hobbes argues in a favor of a fascist government. In Hobbes's view of the world, the authority is undoubtedly meant to serve over the individual, but issues such as race and gender do not play a role in dividing social power. Hobbes in fact argues for the equality of mankind. Such argument in favor of human equality appears to be one of Hobbes's only truly liberal contentions.
