Due to the multiplicity of human
interest, desires, and needs, factions will remain absolute. In Federalists 10,
James Madison best described this by stating, “The latent causes of faction are
thus sown in the nature of man; and we see them everywhere brought into
different degrees of activity, according to the differences of civil society.”
In other words, Factions are the result of humans succumbing to their natural
instinct. Man’s natural instinct is to unite with others with similar passions
in order to achieve a shared objective. This unity of man usually results in differences
within a society, since not all individuals and/or groups share the same objectives.
What’s most interesting about Madison’s statement is how his view on faction
and human nature relates to Thomas Hobbes own views in his depiction of life in
the ‘state of nature.’
In Hobbes’ idea of ‘state of
nature,’ he describes humans being violent and egoist in a lawless society
where they are in their most “natural” state. Hobbes believed people would only
act for their own self-interest, which would lead to rampant violence. They
both seem to believe that left unchecked man’s self-motivated actions in their natural
form would lead to them harming each other. Because of this belief, Madison and
Hobbes urge the limitation on some freedoms in order to guarantee other
freedoms for both factions and individual. That is where their shared view ends
though. Unlike Hobbes who supports a Monarch to set these limitations, Madison
urges for a democratic republic to choose.
In the end, both Madison and Hobbes bring valid points to
the discussion. In my opinion neither are incorrect in their views. I do
believe humans left completely unsupervised would revert to their most natural
state and would serve their interest above others. One could make the argument
that not all humans would behave in such a manner, but when cornered by other’s
selfish actions one might be forced to serve their own best interests. This
would inevitably bring those with common goals together, forming factions and
would divide does with conflicting desires.
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