Like many other children of my generation, I grew up immersed in hip hop culture, especially under the inspiration of Tupac Shakur. Not only did his lyrics appeal to me, but also his history: a high school dropout, with a cocaine-addicted mother, who somehow found time to study philosophy and political theoriesespecially Niccolo Machiavelli. This introduction to Machiavelli, led me to discover another person of greater intellect.
I had previously known Thomas Hobbes as the man who believed all men were created evil. His cynical view on humankind clashed with my own beliefs of existentialism, but I kept my mind open to interpret why a man would feel this way about his own kind. Hobbes regarded that, at mans most primitive state, he lives in continual fear, and danger of violent death, and that man would do whatever is necessary for physical preservation. Using children, before being tamed by civilization, Hobbes demonstrated mans egotistical and instinctual nature. According to Hobbes, when children were presented a limited amount of resources, they showed little remorse for each other, and were obsessed with obtaining as much as they could individually.
Keeping Hobbes theories in mind, I observed my surroundings. Everyday at break and lunch, I monitored my peers. I discovered that most sought to form and preserve social bonds with as many people as they could. This led me to ask myself, If man is in continual fear of violent death, why is man obsessed with creating emotional relationships? Pondering this question, I realized that as man modernized and as it became easier to avoid a physical death, man consumed himself in an attempt to avoid emotional unhappiness. Now man no longer fears death, but fears a life without the comfort of a companion. Not only my peers, but humans in American society forge relationships, not to benefit others, but to secure the companionship of as many people as possible. Whether it be spending time with a friend, buying a girlfriend a gift, or helping another student with their homework, people would do whatever necessary to keep from a state of solitude. Illustrated by the rate of suicide in America, a lack of emotional happiness from relationships negates humans natural fear of violent death. Blending Hobbes theories with my own inspection, I grasped the fact that in order to survive, man formed communities, and in order to defer from loneliness, man formed relationships. More so now than ever, man values emotional well-being and physical survival to the point where neither is complete without the other. I sought to share my theories with others, but only few were willing to listen.
Studying Hobbes and relating his works to my own life not only revealed ideas on humans natural state, but my own natural state as well. I recognized my ability to take a subject that I felt passionately about and study it to a greater level. My devotion to the study of Thomas Hobbes also made me realize that the world contains many different viewpoints of many subjects.
What I will take to the University of California is the ability to devote myself to advancing my education, inside and outside of the classroom, and the ability to not only comprehend, but refine teachings in a manner that will apply to modern life. In the eternal search for knowledge, knowing a fact does nothing unless one can apply that fact. As I open my mind to UC students and professors, who will present other facets of information to me; hopefully, I will be able to open doors for them as Thomas Hobbes did for me.