trivial if there was no inclination towards coveting the others’ goods. Further, in a foremost
utilitarian consideration, people see common good overlapping with their self-interest and,
thus, a sentiment of obligation towards the common good arises and ‘this progress of the
sentiments is natural and even necessary’. 30 Hume’s critique of the social contract is based
on his premises regarding human nature which is associated with human cognitive faculties
and reflects his political thought which can be described as realist, conservative and
utilitarian. In this manner, Hume does not see the world as it should be but rather as it is,
which is what it meant to be. 31 And that is not based on providentialism according to Natural
Law but as a historical fact. For Hume, human nature is manifested in ideas and therefore the
central foundation of government lies in opinion.
Although all the aforementioned theorists hold varied views regarding the original
State of Nature and how human societies came to be formed, there is, nonetheless, a
common pattern to be observed. That has to do with the centrality of self-interest in the
human psyche that dictates motivations and social behaviour. Humans were or came to be
rational thinkers with an innate concernment about, first and foremost, their own survival
along with their material and psychological well-being. This naturally brings about a conflict
of interest that renders the social environment unstable. Therefore, the purpose of political
theory is to, at a certain extent, circumscribe and channel this instinctive propensity towards
self-interest into a functioning Civil Society that guarantees security and nurtures common
prosperity. The thinkers discussed in this essay are among those that effectively shaped the
ideas of government that are practiced today. Considerations about human nature extend to
30 Brownsey, pp. 132-142. 31 McClelland, p. 411.
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