Hobbes is generally considered neither a moral relativist nor a moral nihilist. He's more of a moral objectivist with a heavy dose of social contract theory: - **Moral Objectivist**: Hobbes suggests that moral principles exist, but they're derived from our collective interest in self-preservation and social stability. This leans towards moral objectivism, where there are objective standards (like the "Law of Nature"). - **Social Contract**: He argues that people agree, either explicitly or implicitly, to give up certain freedoms and abide by a set of rules or laws for the benefit of societal order. ### Hobbes' Axioms: The Foundation of His Theories - **State of Nature**: In a pre-societal, natural condition, all humans are essentially equal in faculties of body and mind. No one has an inherent right to rule over others; power structures are man-made. - **Self-Preservation**: The most fundamental human aim is self-preservation. People are driven to create societies for safety, negating the "brutish" state of nature - **Social Contract**: Individuals willingly give up some freedoms to enter into a social contract, resulting in a structured society. Laws and governance are a result of mutual agreement, not divine right or inherent authority. - **Sovereign Power**: A central authority, or sovereign, is necessary to enforce the social contract. Without a sovereign, society would collapse into chaos due to inherent human self-interest. - **Inalienable Right to Self-Defense**: Every human has the irrevocable right to defend themselves. No government or contract can remove your right to self-preservation. - **Conditional Obedience**: If a government fails to protect its citizens, it loses its legitimacy, and citizens are no longer obligated to obey. - **Limited Liberty**: Liberties or freedoms are dependent on the laws set by the sovereign. Freedoms are not absolute but are limited by societal laws for collective well-being. - **Immutable Human Nature**: Humans are driven by desires and aversions, essentially motivated by pleasure and pain. Governance must account for human psychology; law and punishment are necessary to keep desires in check.