The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11) — Thomas Hobbes — John Shaqi
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
2. Having in this place to consider, a multitude of men about to
unite themselves into a body politic, for their security, both
against one another, and against common enemies, and that by
covenants; the knowledge of what covenants they must needs make,
dependeth on the knowledge of the persons, and the knowledge of
their end. First, for their persons they are many, and (as yet) not
one; nor can any action done in a multitude of people met together,
be attributed to the multitude, or truly called the action of the
multitude, unless every man’s hand, and every man’s will, (not so
much as one excepted) have concurred thereto. For multitude, though
in their persons they run together, yet they concur not always in
their designs. For even at that time when men are in tumult, though
they agree a number of them to one mischief, and a number of them to
another; yet, in the whole, they are amongst themselves in the state
of hostility, and not of peace; like the seditious Jews besieged in
Jerusalem, that could join against their enemies, and fight amongst
themselves. Whensoever therefore any man saith, that a number of men
hath done any act, it is to be understood, that every particular man
in that number hath consented thereunto, and not the greatest part
only. Secondly, though thus assembled with intention to unite
themselves, they are yet in that estate in which every man hath
right to everything, and consequently, as hath been said, chapter I.
section 10, in an estate of enjoying nothing. And therefore _meum_
and _tuum_ hath no place amongst them.
[Sidenote: Express consent of every particular, &c.]