The Politics of Blame
Leviathan and the Virus
By Mark Harris
May 9, 2025
Thomas Hobbes makes a metaphor of the state and the biblical beast in his great work of early modern political philosophy, Leviathan. If we look at our nation as a proverbial beast, we may quickly see that it has come down with a viral illness that feeds off our distrust of others and pushes us to blame our fellow countrymen for our woes, all while a select few benefit at the cost of our nation’s health.
Politicians must be held to a high standard, rather than put on a pedestal as if a champion or foil. We have a representative system, and people’s belief in certain figures often stems from real concerns. This is not to say representatives of the people should not be held to account when they misuse the public’s trust. Our inclination to assign blame can be used to subvert our best interests. The wealthiest citizens wield undue control over our political system and try to shape how we see the issues at hand.
Through the Hobbesian metaphor, we can analyze the roles of representation and statesmanship, while also identifying how blame corrupts our understanding of issues and each other.
Keep Cool and Think It Out
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