Hobbes Without Calvin

I'm currently reading Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes published by Oxford World's Classics.

Pretty heavy. What, with all, the commas, and, words that end in, "eth." Liketh writing when in motion, it moveth. Whatever. People were so weird back then. Couldn't they just write in English?

So.

Hobbes.

Pragmatic libertarian?

Anyone care to tackle this?

Me? What do I think? Thought you'd never ask. From what I can discern and from I knew about his philosophy, man is in a perpetual and natural state of war. He wars because he desires and/or need things and most of the time those things that he which he desires in often scarce. Since man does not really wish to war, they enter a social contract surrendering part of their personal liberty to a sovereign entity that will protect he interests of man; the state or Leviathan as he called it.

The state is valid in its role to the extent it does not violate man's rights. Hobbes woud be appalled, I think, to see the power of the state extended into nonsensical things like, for example, laws that prohibit the use of "sparklers" since it clearly infringes on personal freedoms. In other words, the state should just ensure we don't act with savagery between ourselves not determine if they should limit the use of free speech or, say, our sugar intake. That's none of their business even if it may be the "right" thing to do.

Hobbes was willing to accept, pragmatically, the role of the state to bring peace among men, but once it extends itself beyond really against our then it over steps its power. Power is nothing but havving power over others. And that's where we stand in Western culture. The state is involved in the role of our private lives and this is why, I believe, libertarian thought is gaining interest among people.

I haven't read the whole book yet but that's the feeling I'm getting.