The Scope of Hobbes' Social Contract

In Leviathan, Hobbes describes the state of nature where all people believe themselves to be the best and smartest. “For such is the nature of men, that howsoever they may acknowledge others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned; yet the will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves” (75). However, because of their vulnerability to others, people in the state of nature decide to form a commonwealth and surrender certain freedoms and rights. Some of these freedoms could include things like stealing from other men, because doing so would eventually lead back to the state of nature as all men steal from others and everyone is constantly suspicious of others.

Essential to Hobbes' theory of this formation of a commonwealth is the idea that all men have equal status in the state of nature and thus are all equal. It is unclear what scope Hobbes intended this theory to encompass. Did he think that all of human kind was equal? Or perhaps he intended it only applicable to men, and not women.  Additionally, considering the historical and social context of his time, it is unclear whether he intended it to include people of color-- men or women. 

When Hobbes was writing about this commonwealth, it was common knowledge that white men believed themselves to be the smartest, as well as superior to nonwhites and women in almost every way. Because they believed their people (white men) to be the smartest and most superior, they believed that it was their destiny to conquer or control other "lesser" peoples (people of color and women). It seems that if Hobbes' theory for the formation of a commonwealth was ever enacted, it was done so in a perverse way. When forming a commonwealth, there is said to be "peace without subjection" (107). This derives from the fact that all people involved have consented to sacrificing their freedoms for the commonwealth, and thus consented to the sovereign who guarantees their security. In reality, it seems that many "lesser" people sacrificed freedoms for the commonwealth without the benefit of a sovereign guaranteeing their security. 

Hobbes' social contract and commonwealth built upon a principle of inequality between the people involved would seem to be inconsistent with the laws of nature that Hobbes' pushes for throughout Leviathan. Therefore, it is of critical importance to examine his writing and intended scope with a critical eye. Because if he meant for his social contract to exclude women and people of color, there is reason to question his theory from the very start. As a side note, one may argue that Hobbes only meant his theory to be theoretical, and thus this historical context is irrelevant. However, considering that he wrote this during the English Civil War, which centered on dissatisfaction with the King, and dedicated considerable attention to the idea of an illegitimate sovereign, it does not seem likely that he intended the theory to be completely theoretical.