Research Paper on:
Thomas Hobbes - Was he a Liberal?

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he is, most assuredly, a liberal. The most obvious example of this resides within the literary confines of his Leviathan, a publication that addresses the notion of individualism and  social contract theory as they relate to the moral factor behind justice. As James R. Stoner indicates in his book entitled Coke, Hobbes, and the Origins of American Constitutionalism,  "Liberal political theory is based on abstract, rational principles; it stresses individualism" (Common Law and Liberal Theory). Because society is fundamentally based upon  performance and profit, it is not unusual to find that theorists other than Hobbes would primarily believe individualism works as an opposing force rather than one that works for all  living beings. Believing that man is a selfish being who has limitless desires, and noting that there exists no common denominator between humanity and the rest of nature, Hobbes  opponents would clearly acknowledge that mankind stands alone in his endless quest for more, a concept they considered to be the most significant reason society is its own opposing force.  According to Hobbes, however, subjects of the omnipotent Leviathan are morally responsible for submitting their actions in addition to "their Wills, every one to his Will, and their Judgments  to his Judgment" (Hobbes PG). Hobbes argues against the contention that through the distortion of individualism, humanity has turned into a selfish, egotistical  and myopic entity; no longer are people more concerned with others than they are with themselves. This move away from benevolence, claim Hobbes adversaries, has caused considerable harm to  mans reputation as a just and rightful entity, as well as to the manner in which people interact. Interpreting individualism as a means by which to illustrate how justice