Why do we accept government? The philosophical answer lies in our natural state.

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before laws and borders, what defined human existence? Philosophers like Hobbes and Locke used the state of nature as a thought experiment to justify political authority. By imagining life without a sovereign, they sought to explain why rational individuals would voluntarily trade their absolute freedom for the security of society.

The state of nature is a theoretical condition describing human life before the existence of political association. While thinkers like the Warring States philosopher Mozi explored the concept to argue for unified moral standards, it became a cornerstone of 17th and 18th-century European political theory. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau utilized this framework to logically deduce the rights and duties of citizens, framing government as a rational solution to the inherent instability of a pre-political existence.

For Hobbes, writing in the 17th century, the state of nature was a terrifying "war of every man against every man." In this condition, individuals possess a natural right to everything, leading to constant competition and fear. Because there is no higher authority to adjudicate disputes, life remains "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Hobbes argued that individuals escape this unsustainable chaos by entering a social contract, transferring their self-sovereignty to a "Leviathan"—an absolute authority whose power is only limited when it fails to protect its subjects.

John Locke offered a contrasting perspective during the 1680s. Unlike Hobbes, who viewed the natural state as a lawless void, Locke argued that the state of nature is governed by the law of nature, which is reason itself. He believed this reason teaches that no one should harm another’s life, liberty, or property. While Hobbes saw the state of nature as a condition to be escaped entirely, Locke viewed civil society as a necessary structure to protect the rights that individuals already possess by nature. These competing visions continue to shape our understanding of why we accept the authority of the state today.

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