In Thomas Hobbes's 'Leviathan', why do rational individuals agree to enter into a social contract?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. To escape the state of nature
- Step 1: Hobbes posited that without sovereign authority, perpetual competition leads to a war of all against all (bellum omnium contra omnes). Step 2. Rational humans surrender liberty to an absolute sovereign (Leviathan) in exchange for physical security and order. Answer: To escape the state of nature. Why not the others: Hobbes favoured absolute sovereignty, not democratic franchise or socialist equality.
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