No analysis of the development of Western philosophy would be complete without the mention of Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes is seen as the father of the materialist philosophy, a theory which maintains that all that exists is matter. This theory is in stark contrast to that of idealism and opposes any form of spirituality. He was also the writer of the acclaimed Leviathan, written with the intent of defending authority against anarchy which he described in his magnum opus as inevitably leading to “...a war of every man against every man.”1 Hobbes' disposition has been partially formed through witnessing the Royalist defeat in the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I2. It is ironic that many of his views expressed within Leviathan and other works would fuel the rise of Liberalism. This powerful ideology would ultimately result in the French Revolution in the late 18th century3 and the subsequent fall of monarchical regimes in Europe. This essay will highlight the elements of Hobbes philosophical and ideological contributions that paved the way for Liberalism and to a lesser extent Marxism. It will also define what elements of Hobbesian philosophy deserve to remain distinct from that of Liberalism.
Modern debate as to whether Hobbes was Atheist has proven to be inconclusive, though the materialist philosophy espoused from Leviathan maintained that everything which existed was made of matter. This effectively ruled out the possibility of metaphysical entities, including the Christian god. This position would later inspire the likes of Karl Marx, as well as numerous Enlightenment Age thinkers. Materialist philosophy, in denying the existence of metaphysical entities, found itself in opposition to the Divine Right of Kings. Hobbes soon found himself to be falling out with both the Catholic Church and the Exiled Royalists from the English Civil War along with the House of Commons who published a bill specifically targeted at Hobbes, against Atheism and Profaneness4. The implications of Hobbes materialist philosophy will be examined at length, later.
Hobbes denial of the Divine Right represents a significant emergence in the structure of western philosophy that was both progressive and subversive by its very nature. Leviathan is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of Social Contract Theory. This theory maintains that humans, driven by fear of their fellow man, sacrifice their freedom for the formation of a society in order to protect their lives. A king is elected from the body in recognition of the need of a hegemon, not appointed by a metaphysical entity or entities. In finding himself in this position, Hobbes was succeeding in damaging and alienating himself from the very cause his writing sought to aid. Hobbes' ideas would go on to play an integral part in both the Renaissance and liberal revolution in France. Thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau would be inspired by his work, with the latter being famous for declaring that “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”5
The defence of sovereignty outlined in Leviathan is done so from a purely rationalistic point of view, it did not limit itself to a mere defence of Monarchy but all forms of sovereignty against anarchy or violent instability. Similar to the work of his predecessor in thought, Machiavelli, Hobbes' magnum opus presents itself as a guideline for how sovereigns ought to conduct themselves rather than simply advocating Absolute Monarchy. Machiavelli's preference of Republicanism to Absolutism6 along with Hobbes unspecified defence of sovereignty in Leviathan could be seen as the initial intellectual manifestation of a secular current within European history.7
It would culminate in the form of the French Revolution and the spread of Liberalism throughout Europe. If we can entertain the idea of Hobbes' Leviathan as a rationalistic view of sovereignty can be accepted, then this would lead us to the conclusion he was a Proto-Liberal thinker.
Philosophical Materialism, the brain-child of Hobbes, was his response to Cartesian Dualism. This theory, proposed by the philosopher Descartes, held that the body and mind were of two different substances. The implication of Cartesian Dualism was that it maintained the idea of the soul existing transcendentally. Cartesian Dualism was a popular theory at the time. Hobbes' opposition to it put him at great odds with the Aristocracy, who regarded the King as possessing a spiritual dignity that granted him his power over others. Hobbes would further distinguish his thought from that of Christian Theologians in addition to Descartes, with the claim that all that existed was made of matter - even God. Whilst this view is not necessary secular in and of itself, it was at best heretical. Its rejection of Dualism and the rationalised view of God's existence as a material being was at odds with the established religion of the time. Materialism laid the framework for a scientific, empirical view of existence as opposed to a metaphysical one. Empiricism and scientific progress would become hugely significant as a result of the weltanschauung developed during the Renaissance, giving strong credentials to Hobbes' status as a Proto-Liberal.
It is necessary to remember that Materialism was not the only philosophy to emerge from this time period. Some of the most important thinkers of the Enlightenment age were followers of German Idealism, in which the external world exists in the perception of the subject's mind and the Transcendent can exist. German Idealism is indebted to its forefather Immanuel Kant. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel influenced the movement with his idea of the development of the human spirit during the course of history8. Later, Arthur Schopenhauer's would influence it further with his idea of Transcendent Idealism and concept of the Will.9 Given the influence that Materialism would later have on Karl Marx, it is possible to argue that Hobbes is much more than a Proto Liberal and is perhaps more of a Proto-Marxist. A neo-Hegelian of sorts, Marx agreed with Hegel's progressive view of history. Yet he rejected the Transcendent element in favour of progress along economic lines with his own conception of history known nowadays as Historical Materialism. Given Marx's view of religion as “The opiate of the masses”10, it is unsurprising that he would adopt Materialism as his own standpoint. Despite this, Marx's rejection of the Hobbesian Barbarian Man in favour of a more malleable human nature, makes Hobbes philosophy Proto-Marxist, at most. Still, it is necessary to acknowledge the existing link between the two thinkers and that Hobbesian influence perhaps extends beyond that of being within the Proto-Liberal paradigm.
Despite what has been said regarding Hobbes' role in Proto-Liberalism and Proto-Marxism, his view of human nature that is expressed in Leviathan is compatible with neither of the two philosophies mentioned above. His belief that as a natural law, all human beings desired to increase their individual power and would inherently compete with each other for self gain11 is antithetical to the Liberal view that human nature is shaped by social circumstances and that humans are inherently rational12 It is important to express that Hobbes thought people were inherently bad and would seek to destroy one another when it suited them. It is for this reason, and not out of mere organizational necessity, that he felt a sovereign, even of artificial status, was needed to keep the common man from destroying all those around him. One might argue that the emphasis on the individual's desire for power has more in common with the Classical Realism that is found in International Relations than Liberalism or Marxism for that matter. Certainly Hobbes' predecessor Machiavelli with his magnum opus, The Prince,has had success in this area. Although Hobbes did not value power in and of itself, he valued the illusion of having attained it out of necessity for survival.
Whilst it might not appear so obvious at first, many aspects of Hobbesian philosophy do appear to have some striking resemblance to Liberalism to the point where it is a fair assertion to declare Hobbes a Proto-Liberal thinker. Although his concept of the Barbarian Man may have very little in common ground with Liberalism on the subject of human nature, his Materialist philosophy, rejection of Cartesian Dualism and rationalised defence of sovereignty could be seen to provide the necessary blueprints for the intellectual develops that would allow Liberalism to emerge as it did historically. If so, Hobbes is in an indirect sense, arguably the father of the Liberal Democracies that characterize Western modernity to this very day.
