Thomas Hobbes

Hobbes assumes that every man is born equal. This would imply that a ruler's right to rule would depend on his ability to gather the necessary resources, and to broker the kind of influence that would enable him to maintain his position of dominance. This seems to contradict the fundamental arguments about equality among men, since the fact that such a person who is be able to commit such resources to governance, and to command such alliances with the influential entities could not be seen as average in the community of equals. However, the argument can be made that to gain an advantage during life does not mean that you were born superior to others, but indicates that you have developed useful knowledge, skills, and abilities over time. The Hobbesian model does not provide a democratic way of removing a ruler from power (Grimke & Howells, 1998).…