On Thomas Hobbes''s Concept of Sovereignty
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Chang, Tung-Jia
Abstract
My goal is to analyze the connection between three major parts of Hobbes’s political and legal theory, those are: (1) the social covenant (2) the theory of representation and person (3) theological arguments on God and the Church.n the social covenant, I think the social covenant in Hobbes’ theory is made by the subjects, but not by the sovereign and subjects. Thus the sovereign is not under the obligation from the social covenant. However, there are two major difficulties on the making of social covenant. First is the prisoners’ dilemma that can’t be overcome by reason. Thus Hobbes has to make theological arguments to support his arguments on the nature condition of mankind and the social covenant. Second is how can one recognize the Leviathan as “One Person” under a world view of empiricism. Thus Hobbes must articulate a theory of person and representation.n the theory of representation, I think there are two different representations in the making of Leviathan: (1) the subjects (the multitude) authorize the commonwealth (the Leviathan) to represent themselves, and (2) the subjects authorize the sovereign to represent the commonwealth. In those two relations of representation, the subjects become the “body” of Leviathan, and the sovereign become the “mind” of Leviathan. On the theological argument, Hobbes has a very secularized view of Christian theology: The Heaven will be on earth, and Jesus will be the sovereign king of Christian, just as the king of England is the sovereign of his subjects. The secularized theological argument and the relation of representation in Hobbes’ theory may be pantheistic or even atheistic (according to the political theological analysis of Carl Schmitt). But on one hand, Hobbes insists that the multitude have no will, and only the sovereign (which is a man or an assembly of men) has will. And Hobbes denies the pantheistic view of commonwealth as the Lord himself. On the other hand, Hobbes keeps the motto “Jesus is the Christ”, which means no king on earth can rightfully claim to have right over life and death. Hobbes’ political theology is very secularized, but the motto keeps him away from atheism. However, some successors of social contract theory ignore or deny Hobbes’s objection to political pantheism or atheism. The trend of political atheism is an aspect of secularization of modern world. How to live a meaningful political life under political atheism is an unsolved Weberian problem.
Subjects
Political Theology
Sovereign
Natural Condition of Mankind
Social Covenant
Authorization
Representation
Kingdom of God
Type
thesis
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