Philosphy Spotlight: Sir Thomas
“Only power commands respect. People want what they do not have, and they will kill you to get it. My dragon grants me power to suppress the ravenous masses and keep human nature in line. The weak may hate the gods who rule them, but they survive only under our protection.”
Inspiration: Hobbes’ political philosophy
Hobbes argued for the necessity of government to save people from the horrors of anarchy. In Hobbes’ view, anarchy is a constant state of war where each person has good reason to fear everyone else, because anyone stands to gain from using violence for their own ends.
The government’s power to enforce laws is a deterrent against the potential profit of violence. Peace can only be possible when people fear the punishments for theft and murder, and this peace is worth sacrificing the freedoms that a government limits.
Sir Thomas embodies Hobbes’ philosophy from the perspective of the monarch. Thomas recognizes the danger created by human self-interest and justifies the total power of his own rule as a necessity for maintaining peace and order.
Hobbes’ philosophy was particularly groundbreaking because it was the first influential argument for a monarchy that appealed to each individual’s self-interest rather than a divine right to rule. This reasoning developed over time and became the idea of a social contract, which imagines that we would all agree it is worth restricting some freedom for the safety of a governed society. Sir Thomas connects this ethical theory with his own aspiration for power, highlighting the tension in the role of government and the self-interested people who want to rule.