Natural law, throughout the seventeenth century, served as a touchstone for human beings as social and political animals, evolving into an ignitable mixture of moral and political doctrine and demanding the individual’s rights of self-preservation and self-defence. The Catholic thinker Jean Gerson used the term ‘state of nature’ in the fifteenth century, followed by Hugo Grotius in the first half of the seventeenth century, though according to Richard Tuck, Thomas Hobbes was the first to coin it.
Hobbes defined “the state of meer Nature” as a condition of constant competition, where every man fights the other and each individual is entitled to everything by nature. This environment is exclusively governed by the laws of nature, which are rather inherent principles designed to ensure self-preservation. In this world without written laws, there is no justice, and everyone lives in fear and mistrust of the others.
Born into the very same environment, in London’s notorious Newgate Prison, as the illegitimate daughter of a thief, Moll Flanders seeks for a way to escape social misery all her life. Throughout the narration, she faces significant challenges but, despite numerous setbacks, continuously manages to defy her fate. This paper will shed light on the characters’ “state of meer Nature” on a social level with particular focus on the protagonist: their world is dominated by predators, the characters constantly struggle for self-preservation, and, in this fight for appropriation of property to secure survival, are situated in an equilibrium of threats.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan
3. The State of Nature in Moll Flanders
3.1 A Predator-Dominated World
3.2 The Struggle for Self-Preservation
3.3 The Equilibrium of Threats
4. Conclusion
5. Works cited
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to examine whether Thomas Hobbes’ political theory regarding the "state of nature" can be applied to the characters and events in Daniel Defoe's novel Moll Flanders. By analyzing the protagonist's survival strategies and her interactions with a predatory society, the study explores how the lack of formal societal protection forces individuals into a constant, defensive struggle for existence.
- Application of Hobbesian "state of nature" concepts to literary fiction.
- Analysis of women's objectification and marginalization in an 18th-century patriarchal society.
- Investigation into survival strategies and the necessity of self-preservation.
- Examination of the role of manipulation, deception, and alliances as tools for power.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 A Predator-Dominated World
Moll lives in a world of predators, where women hold a subordinate role and are objectified, and men are granted a power they abuse, putting the victimised women in a state of nature (Scholz 85). As first-person narrator, the protagonist often uses the words “bait” or “snare” to describe her role in the world she lives in. She portrays Bath as “a Place of Gallantry enough; Expensive, and full of Snares” and poverty as “the worst of all Snares”, specifying that the fear of spinsterhood is a “Woman’s Snare” with necessity serving as “the common Bait”, tempting women into prostitution (James 212). Her birth into a prison and into a world dominated by men puts the protagonist at a disadvantage from the start.
Being the daughter of a criminal imprisoned in Newgate, Moll is left in the position of “a poor desolate Girl without Friends, without Cloaths, without Help or Helper in the World [sic!]” (Defoe 10). In Colchester, being about three years old, she is fostered and educated by a nurse, aiming to bring the children up “as Mannerly and as Genteely, as if [they] had been at the Dancing School [sic!]” (11). At the age of eight, the magistrates, ordering her to work as a servant, officially objectify Moll. She panics, fearing punishment for her inadequate service and convinces the nurse to keep her for a while longer (12).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the theoretical context of natural law and Thomas Hobbes' definition of the "state of nature" while establishing the thematic focus on the protagonist's struggle against societal adversity.
2. Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan: The author delineates the foundational principles of Hobbesian philosophy, focusing on the concepts of universal competition, the desire for power, and the necessity of reason in overcoming a state of constant war.
3. The State of Nature in Moll Flanders: This central chapter applies Hobbesian theory to the novel, analyzing how the characters navigate a landscape defined by danger and unequal power dynamics.
3.1 A Predator-Dominated World: This section details how women are objectified and forced into survival-driven roles, where their worth is measured by wealth, dowries, and social utility.
3.2 The Struggle for Self-Preservation: This section examines the protagonist's recurring need to secure her future through marriage, manipulation, and ultimately crime, as she prioritizes her own survival over traditional social or maternal bonds.
3.3 The Equilibrium of Threats: This section explores how the protagonist learns to utilize deception and form strategic alliances, particularly with other women, to navigate and survive a hostile environment.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the arguments, confirming that the protagonist’s ostensibly immoral actions are justifiable interpretations of Hobbesian survival tactics within her specific historical context.
5. Works cited: This section provides a comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources utilized in the research.
Keywords
Thomas Hobbes, Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders, State of Nature, Self-Preservation, Predatory World, Objectification, Eighteenth-century Literature, Natural Law, Survival Strategies, Social Hierarchy, Leviathan, Commodity, Deception, Moral Agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how Thomas Hobbes’ political philosophy of the "state of nature" explains the behavior and survival strategies of the protagonist in Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The study focuses on the concepts of self-preservation, the objectification of women in a patriarchal society, the use of deception for survival, and the impact of systemic insecurity on moral choices.
What is the main objective of the analysis?
The objective is to argue that Moll Flanders’ frequently condemned actions are actually logical responses to a "state of nature" characterized by constant competition and the threat of poverty.
Which scientific or analytical method is employed?
The author uses a literary-philosophical analysis, applying Hobbes' theoretical frameworks of political philosophy to specific narrative events and characters in the novel.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The body analyzes the novel’s characters through the lens of Hobbes' definitions of the "state of nature," moving from the general definitions of the theory to the specific manifestations of predator-prey dynamics, the struggle for security, and the necessity of forming strategic alliances.
Which keywords best characterize the paper?
Keywords include Thomas Hobbes, Moll Flanders, self-preservation, state of nature, objectification, and survival strategies.
How does the author interpret Moll Flanders' motherhood?
The author argues that Moll views her children as obstacles to her survival; she abandons them to focus on her own self-preservation, which is presented as consistent with the absolute power one has over their own life and offspring in a state of nature.
Why is the role of "The Governess" significant in this study?
The Governess is identified as the protagonist's most important confederate, whose support and guidance allow Moll to commit crimes and navigate society more effectively than she could have done alone, illustrating the Hobbesian necessity of alliances for survival.
- Quote paper
- Mona Baumann (Author), 2018, Thomas Hobbes' "State of Nature" in Daniel Defoe's "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &C.". Shedding a New Light on the Protagonist's 'Immoral' Actions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/446205
