ere would be “Neither Commonwealth, nor Society, nor Contract, nor peace, no more than amongst Lyons, Bears, and Wolves” (100). Reason then is the sense of reckoning, or adding and subtracting things up in our mind, trying and testing the consequences of each change until the right solution is made, although not necessarily guaranteeing success. These traits, once merged with man’s divine soul, places man at the zenith of all creation. To truly understand the nature of man, one must first understand nature. Nature as defined by Hobbes, is the conditions and environments in which humans find themselves, when no external or artificial order is imposed upon them. Hobbes explains this state of nature as a state of perpetual war, where quarrels are started based on three principal causes; competition, diffidence, and glory. Competition for some is a driving force, pushing them to work harder, to be better than the next man. Hobbes describes this as the force that “maketh men invade for gain” (185), while diffidence and glory make men invade for safety and reputation respectively. “Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common power to keep them in awe, they are in that condition we call warre; and such a warre, as is of every man against every man” (185). Hobbes argues this state of constant war is the nature of man, not simply because one person is stronger than another, but because men are for the most part created equally. It is this equality among men that creates a similarity of needs and desires. When two individuals want the same thing, they are in competition with each other. Taken to the extreme they become enemies and engage in warfare. The same holds true for one man’s wanting another’s status, possessions, belongings, etc.. The nature of man though, is not comprised solely of war. If that were true, there would be no need for reason in the creation of m...
