A PHILOSOPHICAL EVALUATION OF THE THEORY OF THE STATE IN HOBBES AND KANT

Abstract

The problem of human nature necessitated the establishment of the State. It has been argued from the Hobbesian and Kantian philosophical point of view that ethics precedes politics; so also the State is built on the solid bedrock of moral templates or normative principles. The freedom of the State is absolute, logical and necessary. The State has the power of life and death. The State is simply a creation of man. The State is organized by existence of law, order, justice, morality, democracy, good governance, and the idea of the common good. But taking a critical look at these fundamental bases for the State, one would simply say that the State has an important role to man. The objective of this paper is that the State is equivalent to the individual and its major role is to ensure the administering of justice to the people. Justice is simply the correct and legitimate ordering of the political State. The main objective for the establishment of the State is to guarantee the common good of all. This paper shall look at these major fundamentals or bases that governed the creation of the State. Hobbes and Kant shall serve as the philosophical straw men in order to find a meaning to the creation and the moral bases of the State. The State is a political entity aimed at ensuring security of life and property. This paper adopts the method of analysis in navigating through the major objective for the formulation of the State. This paper, therefore, concludes that the State is a political entity formed by human creation. The State serves as an avenue for man to meet up with his full potentials. The State is known for the comprehensive conception of the good life.