Song of the Week:
Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) by: Florence + the Machine
State of Nature
Hello again, itās me again! Your writer, here, on The Unfinished Times. Welcoming you on this glorious Wednesday, if you have been here before, nice to see you again. If we are meeting for the first time, make yourself at home. This week I need you to enter with me – to a place that we are all familiar with. A place that if we imagine could very well occur tomorrow. If the government were to ever just throw in the towel. I know you have seen many movies like this and while they are fun to watch, I don’t think they quite scratch the itch for me. They donāt quite explore the full spectrum of chaos and calm that could unfold. Fear not because, today we will rectify our own version on The Unfinished Times.
Wild and Free
In philosophy we call this type of environment – the State of Nature. Coined by a man named Thomas Hobbes back in the mid 1600ās. In his book called āLeviathanā which he published in England. If you know your history, this was the same era England was going through their own civil war. This political turmoil was between the Royalists and the Parliaments. Does that ring any bells? Cause you any flashbacks to your boring high school history class? Fun fact: I really loved history in school. It was so interesting to me but nowā¦No thanks! One wanted the power of the monarchy, while the other wanted limited power to the monarchy. Basically, how every war goes so you can clearly see the correlation between his choice in topic and what was happening in real life.
Picture a world with no common power, no big boss to call all the shots, zero repercussions. Everyone has a right to use their own power as one sees fit. That is the State of Nature, used in philosophy to showcase different types of governmental power and explore human nature. Thomas Hobbes believed that this would lead society to seek only their self-ambitions and needs, regardless of the possibility of harming others in the process. The mentality of āone for all and all for oneā would reign true due to fear and lack of trust. Which would only lead to a short-lived life and so the answer to escape this route would be having strong governmental control. For all to put trust in one organization – a third party, to handle moral issues. All that may sound nice and dandy, but fear can only take you so far.
What would you do?
Wait, I donāt want to completely dismiss him because he does have a point. Limited amount of resources makes people go co-co for coco-coco puff. People start making sure they have everything they need to survive by stealing stuff and fighting each other for what they need, but thatās basically like Black Friday back in 2010 so, I see no difference. My issue lies in figuring out what happens on the second day. After the stealing frenzy, what happens then?
Imagining the current day State of Nature reminds me of the recent movie that came out on Netflix, Leave the World Behind. About this family who goes to spend a nice weekend away but, on this trip the power grid goes out and weird stuff starts to happen. I didnāt really like the plot, but the film director did create a lot of mind-blowing scenes with creative angles that I have never seen before. However, the elimination of the power grid and its telltale signs was something I enjoyed. I bring this up because, at the end of the movie I noticed something oddā¦ or peculiar if you will. Itās not that the movieās ending made no sense, it was the absence of violence. There was nothing violent about the world ending. Even with the medicine altercation, the nonviolence was so apparent that it gave me a food-for-thought moment. Could there be an alternative to Thomas Hobbes? Then, it hit me, there was a different philosophical man, Jean Rousseau.
His view is a romanticized version of the State of Nature compared to Thomas Hobbes. He rather emphasizes the good nature of humankind while not so much focusing on the corrupted parts of humanity. Like in the movie when the son became ill with Lyme disease and needed the medicine, the man who was prepared was a bit rough at first but then decided to lead with his heart. The ānoble savageā leans on the idea of those who have goodness and virtue, those who cast no burden on those around them, those who help even if it doesnāt produce a benefit for them. These people are always in these kinds of movies because they provide the brains and the manpower to actually do something. Everyone always thinks of themselves as this part, at least I do, since they usually tend to survive the longest.
Thomas Hobbes and Jean Rousseau are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the State of Nature. Thomas Hobbes paints a grime and brutal State of Nature to assert a strong central government while Jean Rousseauās theory places faith in the inherent goodness in people and a loose controlling government. Either way could happen!
Right in the Middle
If you too, are thinking, ādamn, both guys seem right, neither is wrongā then, we are in the same boat my friend. Caught right in between these two perspectives; one may overlook a specific factor – the role of the collective. Survival, it seems, hinges not solely on the individual choices but the dynamic and interactions with the community. What the group decides is ultimately the course of action. In the movie, when the homeowners and the vacationers first met, they were very weary of each other. Did believe they could trust each other, some withholding information, some lying to perceive others etc. And the State of Nature challenges that very essence, between the individual and the collective harmony.
But there is another man, a third man, who does talk about this challenge. A different man, yet another philosophical man who we all know wellā¦ that is John Locke. He may sound very familiar, since he is the father of American social contract theory and limited government theory. John Locke doesnāt think the State of Nature would be a bloodbath. He believes that humans have a natural instinct, something that drives humans, and that is the preservation of their own life. Wanting to be away from harm, having the essentials to survive is a key action in these types of movies. Thus, if everyone feels this motivation then, there won’t be unnecessary violence since people want to stay alive first and foremost.
All these scenarios got me questioning what kind of person I would be in the State of Nature. I think it highly depends on the reason why the government shuts down in the first place. Which is why I think Thomas Hobbes is a bit on the nose for me. I could see myself being all three; the old reliable, the untrustworthy one- especially if there was a disease, or the one that puts my survival first and foremost. I will never be able to predict my future obviously nonetheless, I find this all amusing to try to find new solutions. Some people find it irrelevant, but I call it a conversation. As you may have noticed watching movies and shows contributes to this discussion a great amount so, if you have any in mind, donāt be afraid to share.
Rise F+TM Army
We are at the end. I hope I have left you all with new things to talk about with your crew or someone youāre trying to get to know. This weekās song of the week Rabbit Heart is by my favorite band of all time, Florenceā¦ and the Machine. Found them when I was merely 12-year-old and since then have been their top 0.01 percent of listeners. Making me their unofficial number one fan, I seriously should get concert tickets for free, but that is neither here nor there. Iāll even show you my cool tat. Now why this song? I chose this song in particular because it highlights the ultimate question in the State of Nature: Who are you going to become? You will definitely have hard choices to make, we have all seen The Walking Dead, those moments will either make or break you. And at the end of the day, it is up to you to decide. Who will you be when the State of Nature arises?
Stay tuned in for next week, for I will introduce you all to meet my furry baby. Find me here talking about the things I wish I knew about pets and her story specifically. Until next time, keep thinking.
Thank you for joining me on this journey at The Unfinished Times! Don’t forget to follow me for more insightful content, give a shout-out to spread the word, and consider signing up for our Co-Collective to be part of our vibrant community. And if you missed any posts from previous weeks, take a moment to catch up! Let’s continue exploring, sharing, and growing together! See you in the next post~ XOXO
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