Original scientific paper
POLITICAL STATE OF NATURE: A REVISION OF HOBBESIAN MODEL, ROUSSEAU AND SADE
Hrvoje Cvijanović
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The research idea consists of an examination of what the author
calls the political state of nature. The research is conducted around
the Hobbesian understanding of the state of nature and its interpretation in a contemporary context. Also, it will be fundamental to introduce Rousseau’s criticism on Hobbes, as well as deepen the idea by including Sade into this discourse. Accordingly, the traditional understanding of the idea of the state of nature cannot be abandoned by entering into civitas, since from the very beginning the so called social contract allows the predatorial behavior of the powerful over the weak. Even worse, following some authors mentioned, it can be
claimed that the cruelty of this abuse is institutionalized by the modern state in the sense of the institutionalized protection of the powerful.
The modern state, instead of being a guardian of civil association,
becomes a corporatist Behemoth in which the political war for redistribution and doctrinal supremacy is conducted. This is the state
which the author calls the political state of nature in which the initial
Hobbesian agenda is betrayed.
Keywords
Hobbes; state of nature; political state of nature; Rousseau; Sade; Gray
Hrčak ID:
20146
URI
Publication date:
20.6.2007.
Visits: 3.901 *