What is Hobbes's view on violence and civilization?

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Thomas Hobbes' view of human existence in a state of nature is characterized by a "war of all against all," leading to a life that is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. He argues that violence is inherent in human nature and the universe, suggesting that while societies can repress violence through organization and governance, it can never be fully eradicated. The discussion touches on the idea that contemporary violence reflects a societal imbalance, where empathy has not evolved at the same pace as technological advancements. However, the argument is made that this perspective does not adequately explain phenomena like suicide bombings or certain animal behaviors, which challenge the notion of innate "animal pity." Additionally, it is posited that while competition exists, it does not necessarily culminate in constant warfare, as alliances and peaceful interactions can prevail, with war being a temporary disruption in an otherwise peaceful existence.
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Man's life in a state of nature, said Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan, is a "war of all against all:"

And in that state of nature, no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

In the Hobbesian view, there can ultimately be no cure for violence; it is in our wiring; in fact, it is in the bones of the universe in which we live. You can counteract or punish it--you can shoot the shooters--but it will always be with you. The state or civilization, according to Hobbes, is the way we organize ourselves to repress violence.

http://www.spectacle.org/1196/hobbes.html
http://www.friesian.com/fallen.htm
http://www.spunk.org/texts/writers/meltzer/sp001500.html
 
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From the specatacle.org article:

If we live in a violent world today, it is because life is out of balance, because our "animal pity" has not learned to cross the same distance that our missiles can.

That might hold true from the American technological perspective, but it doesn't explain suicide bombers. And "animal pity" is an assumption that I don't think holds up. It doens't account for male grizzly bears killing young grizzlies just so they can get laid sooner. Even cute little female ground squirrels have been known to kill the youngsters of other females, presumably to give their own offspring a better chance. Or baby birds that push weaker siblings out of the nest, or...

I can't agree completely with Hobbes, either. Competition of all against all, maybe, but that doesn't have to lead to war. Alliances can be formed by trading, intermarrying, etc. Generally, people spend the vast majority of their time in peace, punctuated only briefly, though memorably, by war.
 

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