Authority and the Problem of Political Philosophy

The fundamental problem of political philosophy—Why should there be a state?—supposes both a definition of the state and an argument for its justification. The central thesis of this book is that Hobbes formulates this problem as a relation between authority and anarchy—or what Hobbes calls a ‘state of nature’—and not between authority and some more basic moral principles. This latter approach to state justification is endorsed by the majority of contemporary political philosophers. This chapter will explicate these two alternative approaches by focussing on the concept of authority. This will prepare the ground for discussing the complex set of arguments on the state of nature that Hobbes presents in his major writings on morality and politics: The Elements, De Cive, and Leviathan.