Question

How did Hobbes view the role of the state in relation to the Social Contract?

a) As a protector of individual rights
b) As an entity to maintain law and order
c) As an enforcer of natural law
d) As irrelevant to social contracts

Answer 1

Thomas Hobbes believed that the state's role, under the Social Contract, is to maintain law and order by imposing a powerful sovereign authority to ensure peace and stability.

Step-by-step explanation:

Thomas Hobbes viewed the role of the state in relation to the Social Contract primarily as a powerful entity necessary to maintain law and order. Hobbes believed that in the absence of a strong government, or Leviathan, people would live in a state of nature characterized by a life that is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' Therefore, individuals should agree among themselves to authorize a sovereign power that can uphold the laws of nature with unrestricted authority. This would involve individuals surrendering their natural rights to the ruler in exchange for protection, leading to peace and stability.

So, in relation to the question, Hobbes's view can be best described as option b) As an entity to maintain law and order.