The Comparing Studies Of Marx’s And Hobbes’ Theory Of State

As a human primary community, State, together with its origin and its existence and its ultimate value, is to be in accordance with the existence and development of man. In a prospective period, the existence and development of State can provide man a motivation and commitment to get rid of the bind of necessity, and to be free step by step, and at last to attain happiness. However, we have to notice that with the rising of modern legality the rule function of State has been being high lightened. As a result, losing its work of moral education, State is reduced to be either a value-neutral country or a means of tyranny. Thomas Hobbes, claiming himself the founder of modern political philosophy, established a State theory grounding on “fear” via critiquing traditional State theory by observing human nature in an empirical way and by redefining classical natural law. However, it is this public authority which Hobbes considered an approach of saving human being’s tragic fate was viewed as a representation of the tragic fate of human being by Marx. Thus, Marx has been trying his best to critiquing State, a power of social alienation. We, therefore, discovered that Hobbes differs with Marx largely in the problem of the legitimacy of the existence of State. It is still a question whether State, a vehicle of organizing people living together, is good for human happiness, or whether it is indispensable for human being to fulfill himself only by living in a State. This question force us to reflect on the origin and the nature of State.The present thesis systematically analyzed Hobbes’ and Marx’ studies on State theory on the bases of reading classic texts. It studied seriously the origin, the nature, sovereignty and function of State by comparing their doctrines of State theory. It also attempted to give reasons of Marx’s assertion that State will disappear in the future and that of Hobbes’ dissertation that State will exist all the time, and tried to give comments on each of them. The goal of this thesis is to have a comprehensive understanding of State theory by reading and comparing these two different theories. What’s more, it can enrich modern State theory, and show that State conceiving thought has played an important role in Marxism political philosophy.