In the Shadow of Sovereignty: A Dark Examination of Hobbes, Sovereign Power, and Genocide

This thesis explores the genocides in Rwanda and Cambodia through the framework of Thomas Hobbes’s political philosophy, focusing on his concepts of the state of nature and absolute sovereignty as articulated in Leviathan. The hypothesis asserts that Hobbes’s state of nature is not merely a hypothetical construct but a tangible reality that can be observed in the actions and failures of authoritarian regimes, such as those of the Hutu government in Rwanda and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. These governments, both authoritarian and endowed with seemingly absolute power, paradoxically failed to embody the Leviathan that Hobbes envisioned as the ultimate safeguard against chaos and violence. Through a detailed analysis of historical events, survivor testimonies, and Hobbesian theory, this thesis argues that the genocides orchestrated by these regimes reflect conditions akin to Hobbes’s state of nature. Far from serving as stabilizing sovereigns that provide security and order, the Hutu government and Khmer Rouge exacerbated the very chaos they were meant to suppress, using their absolute authority to foster division, dehumanization, and mass extermination. A study of these regimes reveals that while they did command the respect and authority of a Hobbsian-like sovereign, they failed to adhere to the role Hobbes’s theory idealized of a unifying and protective state. Instead, these regimes abused their authority, and were unchecked by accountability or moral limits, and instead became a tool for oppression rather than protection. This study emphasizes that Hobbes’s state of nature is not confined to theoretical abstraction but emerges as a vivid and recurring phenomenon in real-world political collapses. By comparing Hobbes’s ideal sovereign with the practical failures of these regimes, the thesis acknowledges the dangers of an absolute sovereignty as a solution to the state of nature, highlighting its fragility and potential to morph into chaos. It concludes that while Hobbes’s Dombrovskis 2 framework provides valuable insights into the dynamics of societal breakdown, Hobbes’ advocation for an absolute authority demands full precision and attention to the details written in his work, Leviathan. Furthermore, the genocides in Rwanda and Cambodia underscore the necessity of integrating accountability and ethical governance into sovereign authority to prevent such atrocities and secure enduring stability.