Thomas Hobbes · Politics

The Right You Cannot Surrender

At the root of Hobbes’s whole system lies one inalienable right - to defend your own life - which even the absolute sovereign cannot take away.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that the right of self-preservation is the one right no contract can transfer. Explain why Hobbes thinks it cannot be given up, in your own words.

Leads to Thomas Jefferson.

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