Abstract
According to Hobbesian theory, no cure for conflict or violence can ever exist. As a result, we live in a world of perpetual anarchy and conflict. However, the reasons for this anarchy have remained a contentious point of debate, particularly among scholars of political theory. Using the current war in Iraq and Russia's war with Georgia in 2008, this article examines the chaotic state of the contemporary world system. In doing so, it applies, compares, and contrasts the theories presented in Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Civil Government. Through this analysis, it is shown that Lockean theory is inadequate in explaining the anarchic state of the international system. Beyond the comparison of the two theorists addressed in this article, a brief exploration is also made of the inherent shortcomings of international law as a system that seeks to maintain order. Questions are raised regarding the efficacy and legality of the United States’ second invasion of Iraq, as well as considerations for the larger impact that the war ultimately makes on the paradigm of international law.
Highlights
The aforementioned thesis is evidenced pro hac vice by comparing and contrasting Hobbesian and Lockeian perspectives on the authority of the state, using the incursion in Iraq, and to a lesser-extent Russia's war with Georgia in 2008, as bases of analysis
All mankind [...] being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possession. —John Locke, Second Treatise of Government The state of nature is a state of war of all against all [...] —Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan The contemporary world system is one in which conflict is ever ensuing and constantly increasing
Inside the intellectual halls of ancient Athens, the original notions of international law developed with Plato, who argued that, “the individual soul and the city-state are organized by the same principles, aiming for equilibrium (Social Theory of Law, 2004)
Summary
All mankind [...] being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possession. —John Locke, Second Treatise of Government The state of nature is a state of war of all against all [...] (bellum omnium contra omnes) —Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan The contemporary world system is one in which conflict is ever ensuing and constantly increasing. The aforementioned thesis is evidenced pro hac vice by comparing and contrasting Hobbesian and Lockeian perspectives on the authority of the state, using the incursion in Iraq, and to a lesser-extent Russia's war with Georgia in 2008, as bases of analysis. This analytical relationship is supplemented by an examination of the basic state of nature, using the situation in Iraq as its foundation, while employing morality as a variable. The final section considers the inherent problems in Locke’s argument, offering a definition of such problems
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