olitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." It would be "solitary because we have no reason to trust anyone else; poor because we have no possible benefit of commerce in such war; nasty because we are continually threatened and fearful of one another; brutish because we only have time to act on our passions like our fellow animals; and short because war of all against all results in many untimely and violent deaths."1 This incredibly pessimistic account of the nature of human life, Hobbes says, is born in part by the actions of all of us, when, without any thinking, we arm ourselves and lock our doors."Does not there as much accuse of mankind by his actions as I do with my words? But neither of us accuse mans nature in it. The desires and the other passions of man, are in themselves no sin. No more are the actions, that proceed from those passions, till they know a law that forbids them: which till laws be made they cannot know: nor can a law be made, till they have agreed upon the person to make it."2Accordingly, by arming ourselves and locking our doors, Hobbes political recommendations reflect the way we live. In todays society it seems that no one believes in anything but money, which is leaving us morally bankrupt. People do what meets their own self-interests. This moral disintegration pulses through people and makes everyone nervous. If you look around, the cause of this disintegration is present in everyday society where man is taking drastic measures to protect himself; i.e. locking doors, carrying guns, placing cameras, lighting walkways, and the placement of emergency telephones. All of this is done for the fear that ones neighbor might stab the others back when not looking because all men have this aggressive, destructive impulse. If there were no consequences for these impulses, one would become a moral barbarian. It is the fear of punishment of the "big brother" power that keeps the individuals under control.Iro...
