It is possible to argue that the feudal system proves
Hobbes's view of human nature because people in that system tended to act in accordance
with their selfish interests. In the feudal system (as opposed to in an absolute
monarchy) the various important lords had the ability to act in their own interests in
ways that may well have been harmful to the state as a whole. This would tend to
support Hobbes's idea that an absolute ruler was needed in order to check the selfish
impulses of the people.
The history of feudal Europe is
littered with examples of people acting in very selfish ways. Members of the nobility
were constantly fighting to advance their political interests. They would often do this
even if it meant that their country as a whole would be harmed. As an example of this,
we have events like the one in which Eleanor of Aquitaine led a revolt against her own
husband, King Henry II of England. This sort of behavior by people in feudal times
seems to confirm Hobbes's views of human nature.
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