Analysis Of Thomas Hobbes Leviathan And Adam Smith s...

Most important among the many big ideas in Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations are those that deal with human nature and how to create and maintain social order. In this paper, I will argue Hobbes’ lack of optimism, and Smith’s lack of pessimism in their theories of human nature, and will also discuss how our idea of social order changes once these aspects are taken into consideration. Hobbes’ theory of human nature begins with the statement that all men are created equal. One infers from this that every human being is equally capable of killing another, because while â€Å"there may be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body,† the weaker may find compensation in his â€Å"quicker mind.† This equalized ability produces equality of hope for the attaining of our goals, and when two or more people compete for the same thing, they become enemies and attempt to destroy each other. Hobbes called t his time when men oppose each other â€Å"war,† and said it has three basic causes: competition, distrust and glory. Hobbes also believes that in this state of nature, humans have a natural tendency to accrue as much power as they can, and that they will be satisfied only by acquiring more power, willingly harming or killing others to get what they want. Thus, the state of nature is a â€Å"war of every man against every man,† where humans live in perpetual fear of one another. According to Hobbes, human nature creates a problem concerning social orderShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesthis respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizationa l concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the practical world of organizations. The authors’ sound scholarship and transparentRead MoreGame Theory and Economic Analyst83847 Words   |  336 PagesGame Theory and Economic Analysis Game Theory and Economic Analysis presents the wide range of current contributions of game theory to economics. The chapters fall broadly into two categories. Some lay out in a jargon-free manner a particular branch of the theory, the evolution of one of its concepts, or a problem that runs through its development. Others are original pieces of work that are signiï ¬ cant to game theory as a whole. After taking the reader through a concise history of game