Thomas Hobbes, in “Leviathan,” asserts that human beings are not naturally drawn towards forming and residing in communities, due to the fact that men have clashing interests and therefore cannot cooperate easily. One cannot help but disagree with this claim when simply looking at one’s self, a human. Just from observing his own situation, he would clearly see that humans are by nature social beings and have an innate desire to belong in groups. Given mankind’s sheer history of having lived in communities, regardless of size, it would be difficult to imagine man as a solitary animal. Hobbes did not have the right idea with regards to communities being unnatural for human beings. From a biological standpoint, humans are animals, and as such, we share much of the same characteristics as the creatures that roam the earth. All organisms strive towards the universal goal of survival; as Hobbes himself says, “The right of nature... is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature; that is to say, of his own life. (Hobbes 189)” Every living creature is granted the right to survive by any means possible. However, this does not necessarily mean “kill everything in sight so as to leave no room for competition.” A much safer option would be to travel and collaborate as a group, similarly to herds of buffalos, schools of fish, and murders of crows. As the saying goes, “there is safety in numbers,” and the larger the number, the greater the group’s strength is. Logically, it then follows that the group’s strength grows proportionally to the chance of survival, which all animals pursue, including man. Tracing back to mankind’s earliest days, even before any concrete civilizations had been found, humans were working together as one body in small communities we now call tribes. The word tribalism refers to the possession of a cultural identity that distinguishes one member of a group from those of other groups, i.e. nationalism, but in terms of tribes. “Tribalism has a very adaptive effect in human evolution. Humans are social animals, and ill-equipped to live on their own. Tribalism…help[s] to keep individuals committed to the group, even when personal relations may fray. (Dlamini)” As stated here, humans turn to each other for support, for they are not designed to sustain themselves individually. Hobbes makes the argument that even when banded together, humans are prone quarrelling with one another over selfish reasons, because their own interests do not reflect those of the common good. However, tribalism maintains the order and balance by satisfying a deep-rooted psychological necessity. This necessity is known as the necessity of love and belonging, located on the third tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy is a theory developed by Abraham Maslow, describing the different levels of human needs. The needs are as follows, starting from the most fundamentally essential: physiological (food, water, sleep, sex), safety, love and belonging, esteem (self-respect), and self-actualization (Maslow). A tribe is able to fulfill at the very least the first three tiers—food, safety in numbers, and a sense of belonging. This is why small quibbles and trivial conflicts between members of a group will not be the downfall of the entire tribe. Participating in a community is meeting human nature’s demand for kinship. As mentioned above, humans are not provided with the proper tools to survive alone and are not meant to live the solo life. Aristotle states that, “The proof that the state is a creation of nature and prior to the individual is that the individual, when isolated, is not self-sufficing; and therefore he is like a part in relation to the whole. But he who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god. A social instinct is implant in all men by nature… (Aristotle)” Here, he describes the social behavior as beyond just a practice; it is an inborn impulse. This sociality is what assists us in survival, as humans stand a better chance working as a group. A man may be able to hunt, build shelter, and keep himself safe from danger, but at that point, such a being cannot be deemed a man, a “beast”, if he does not utilize that which separates him from the rest of the animal kingdom—reason, or in Greek, logos (Clayton). This Greek word is synonymous with the English word “speech,” which stands to reason, given that speaking requires and also leads to reasoning. Therefore, a man who sustains himself and does not speak, and thus does not engage in social interactions, is no man at all. Not only that, but he is also depriving himself of the aforementioned hierarchy of needs, satisfying only the basest of human necessities. A community is instrumental and critical to the survival of any man.
Under the umbrella of survival falls reproduction, the continuation of a race’s genes; this in turn leads to the creation of a family, which in itself is a small, close-knit community. No matter how independent an animal species may be, in almost all cases, the animal needs nurture from its parents. This is true especially for man, as he is completely defenseless upon entering this world. “The infant receives the generation and food and education from his parents, and the parts of the family help each other for the things necessary for life. (Nature)” If nothing else, a man should have his family to count on, for they are his closest community.
Hobbes argues that humans cannot be likened to animals in the formation of communities due to the fact that “men are continually in competition for Honour and Dignity, which these creatures are not. (225)” I see a logical fallacy with this idea. How can one seek “honour and dignity” if there is no one around him, as he is not in a community, from whom to garner admiration? If he does gain the respect of strangers, what use is that to him? Such revere is fleeting, and thus, worthless. Rather, it would be far more satisfying to become a part of a community, and then flaunt his abilities, where he can compare himself with other men to his heart’s content.
Throughout all of humanity’s existence, man has formed communities and societies, in which the members assist one another and work together for the benefit of the whole. Man’s power, his ability to attain that which he desires, is exponentially increased when in cooperation with others. At the very core, humans are social beings, much like all other animals. Communities started out small, from families, then to tribes, but whatever the size, they meet Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, with advanced societies satisfying the highest tier of self-actualization. Man is inadequately armed for the harshness of life and is entirely dependent on others; it is unnatural for him to be self-sufficient. Hobbes took a step in the right direction when arguing that humans naturally want to compete with one another, but when it comes to communities, he does not give them enough credit.

Works Cited
Aristotle.Politics . The Internet Classics Archive. http://classics.mit.edu//Aristotle/politics.html. (9/4/2007).
Clayton, Edward. "Aristotle: Politics." Internet Enclopedia of Philosophy. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/>.

Dlamini, Muzi. "Tribalism in Africa." Hartford Web Publishing. The African Global Experience. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/30/065.html>.

"Maslow 2.0: A New and Improved Recipe for Happiness." The Atlantic. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/08/maslow-20-a-new-and-improved-recipe-for-happiness/243486/>.

"Nature of the Common Good." Society and It's Necessity. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.catholicapologetics.info/morality/general/society.htm>.