The concept of the State of Nature is a theoretical abstraction that refers to a "moment" when human beings organized themselves only under the laws of nature.
It is a moment before the emergence of any type of social organization and the Civil State.
It is noteworthy that this idea of anteriority does not refer to a historical moment, but a metaphor to a pre-social period of human beings.
A striking feature is the idea that individuals would live in isolation or organized in small family groups dedicated to their strict survival.
These pre-social individuals would be fully free, following their natural freedom, and equal, not being subjected to social or cultural constructions.
Different authors propose different views on what the state of nature would be like. The three main conceptions refer to modern philosophy with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau.
1. Hobbes and the war of all against all
For Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), human beings have a natural tendency to violence. Hence, his famous phrase:
Man is man's wolf.
Because of their intellect, human beings dominate nature, but they find in other human beings their great rivals, their true natural predators.
The desires of individuals in a state of nature would generate disputes that could lead to the death of one of the parties to the conflict.
Due to the need for security and, mainly, for fear of a violent death, individuals prefer to give up their right to freedom and equality given by nature.
Therefore, they enter into a pact or social contract in which they are subject to a government that can, through laws, guarantee them a safe life.
Human beings abandon the State of Nature and give rise to the Civil State through the social contract.
2. Locke and natural law
John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher, considered the "father of liberalism". This is fundamentally due to his conception of property as a natural right of human beings.
Unlike Hobbesian thought, Locke states that human beings in a state of nature do not live in war, they tend to live peacefully because of their condition of freedom and equality.
For him, individuals at birth would receive from nature, the right to life, liberty and goods that make the first two possible. That is, the right to private property.
However, the individual in a state of nature, due to his desires and his freedom, would end up entering into litigation (dispute) with other individuals. As each party would defend its own interest, it became necessary to create a mediating power to which everyone would submit.
Thus, the individual leaves the state of nature, entering into the social contract. With this, the State must play the role of arbiter in conflicts, avoiding injustices and, consequently, the revenge of those who felt wronged. Always keeping in mind the guarantee of the natural right to property.
"To be free is to have the freedom to dictate your actions and dispose of your property, and all your property, in accordance with the governing laws. Thus, not being subject to the arbitrary will of others, being able to freely follow their own will."
Locke states that the function of the state is to interfere as little as possible in the lives of individuals, acting only in mediating conflicts and defending the right to property.
Where there is no law, there is no freedom.
3. Rousseau and the good savage
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), French philosopher, has a conception of the human being in a state of nature quite contrasting to his predecessors.
Rousseau asserts that human beings are naturally good. In a state of nature, he would live a life isolated from others, completely free and happy. The individual would be the "good savage" innocent and incapable of doing evil, like other animals.
However, this state ends when, for some particular reason, an individual surrounds a piece of land and classifies it as his own. The emergence of private property is the engine that generates inequalities and violence.
Man is born good and society corrupts him.
The state of society arises where the possessors (those who own something) fight against those who do not have property.
By extinguishing this insecurity, the social contract makes individuals abandon the state of nature and assume civil freedom. Live under the control of a State that must strictly carry out the general will.
Contractual Philosophers and the Origin of the State
These philosophers are called contractual philosophers. They dedicated themselves to developing the idea of the human being in a pre-social state and its passage to a life in society through the social contract.
The origin of the State arises from the need for human beings to establish laws that can make their life in society possible.
| Contractual Philosophers | Individuals in State of Nature | Conditions of the State of Nature | Key Idea | Emergence of Civil Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Hobbes | Free and Equal | War of all against all | "Man is the wolf of man" | ensure security |
| John Locke | Free and Equal | litigation and revenge | Natural right to private property | Mediate conflicts and guarantee the natural right to property |
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Free and Equal | "good savage" | Private property as the source of inequalities | Represent the general will |
See too:
- Contractualism
- Political Philosophy