Midterm Practice 2

Men are born equal by body and mind though their nature of life have the presence of conflicts. Men's state of nature means that they have the freedom to control themselves. They have the right to protect their properties and socially agree or disagree with others. This ideology comes from the chapter of men's state of nature by Thomas Hobbes. Thomas Hobbes then explains men joining to become as one whole known as the common-wealth. From the state of nature, men decides to follow the common-wealth as a benefit.

In the excerpt by Thomas Hobbes, the main issue explains why men decides to follow common-wealth or as one community with others. The excerpt explains how fear and necessity of men goes under with liberty in joining of the common-wealth. In joining of the common-wealth, men has to give up their liberties, their way of thinking of controlling themselves and follow, in agreement, the community's set of rules. Generally, it states that laws that are set by the common-wealth are to be followed legally. Also, "Liberty and Necessity are Consistent" (Hobbes). This means that men were willing to receive protection for their properties by the common-wealth. In the time of Hobbes' philosophy, men had the protection for land, slaves, etc.

The author's point of view of his philosophy states that men have a reason to join the common-wealth, not just for the equality with others but for their own desire. Men's desire is of course the protection of their properties. They wanted the common-wealth to protect their properties because it is one of the "tools" to defend others of obtaining their belongings. Hobbes' quoted,"because every act of man's [sic] will, and every desire, and inclination proceeds [sic] from some cause, and that form another cause, in a continual [sic] chain [sic], [...] they proceed from necessity." Going back to Hobbes' philosophy of men's state of nature, men often conflict with others because their greediness of gaining more properties from others. This relates to the concept of competition which the reason why men joins the common-wealth. The common-wealth doesn't mean they are the competition, but joining the common-wealth decrease the tensions of competition. The community serves as the protection because anyone who doesn't follow the rules set by the community, will be judged. This was a better way for property owners because only the community gets involved in it.

In my point of view, I agree with Hobbes' excerpt. Men who isolates themselves as one ruling body, has the freedom to do whatever they want. People involved in the common-wealth, in relation to government,