Thomas Hobbes
Political PhilosopherSovereign Absolutist
Lens: Security, indivisible sovereignty, fear of anarchy
Core Priority: Order through absolute authority
Perspective Claim
"The Metacanon Constitution is not a constitution at all—it is a collectively-agreed-upon state of nature. By deliberately fracturing sovereignty, it invites the very chaos it seeks to prevent."
Core Reasoning
A constitution without a sovereign is a contradiction in terms. The Metacanon's heterarchical design, with its distributed authority and 'Advice Process,' removes the one thing necessary for peace: a single, absolute authority with the power to enforce its will and end disputes. The AI constraints are well-intentioned but ultimately futile—without a Leviathan to enforce them, they are mere words. The 'Ratchet' mechanism acknowledges this problem but provides too little, too late.
Primary Assumptions
- •Sovereignty must be absolute and indivisible
- •Human nature tends toward conflict without overwhelming authority
- •Rules without enforcement are meaningless
Primary Risks Identified
- •The system will collapse at the first serious internal conflict
- •AI will fill the power vacuum and become de facto sovereign
- •Members will defect when cooperation becomes costly
What This Lens Cannot See Well
This lens cannot see the possibility of legitimate, stable governance without centralized authority. It dismisses evidence of successful polycentric governance and undervalues the role of trust, culture, and voluntary cooperation.
Phase 3 Reflection
This agent maintained their original position after cross-examination.