
The original American laws
The United States Bill of Rights was established in the year 1791, and immediately established the legal ramifications for our country. On the contrary, Thomas Hobbes’ The Levithian was published in 1651 in England. Could it be the case that the earlier set of laws is a more applicable for a modern country? The Bill of Rights is a very specific set of laws, specifically for a country in the year 1791. As a result, it is debatable that the bill of rights is a little dated. For one, the right to bear arms as a law has been a huge topic of debate between liberals and conservatives, and has especially has been under fire after tragedies such as the Columbine massacre and The Sandy Hook massacre. Another example of a dated law is the outlawing of quartering soldiers. While at one point, yes, this was an issue that many Americans faced while being occupied by the Royal English military, but at this modern day and age, it isn’t an issue that most, or any Americas have to deal with for that matter. While the Bill of Rights is a great set of laws for revolutionary age America, it necessitates a modern adaption.

Thomas Hobbes
Now, I am not saying that I am an advocate for revamping American laws, but I am saying that in some alternate universe, Thomas Hobbes’ “Law of Nature” would work as a good legal set of guidelines for a modern country. Not perfectly, mind you, but it’s a possibility. For example, the second law of nature is the mandate to seek peace. While for international conflict, this might not be the best course of action in terms of negotiating with hostile and wild foreign countries; it is a good guideline for a population to standby. The third law is that we need to follow up on the contracts that we make, which is basically the foundation of regional laws. The fourth is that we need to show gratitude towards those who stand by the contracts that they make. In other words, these laws are the general foundations for a government’s legal policies, not for specific conflicts, but for a more general management of crime. The second law alone could very well be a policy that any country could reasonably have, mainly due to its generic outlawing of crimes such as murder. While it may not be a perfect set of rules, it is very arguable that Hobbes’ “Laws of Nature” could very well be the makings for a modern countries general policies.