We talk a lot on this site about the “Council of Scholars” as a predatory force of gatekeepers. But if you asked them—or their philosophical godfather, Thomas Hobbes—they would tell you they are the only thing standing between you and a knife in the dark.
1. The “State of Nature” is a War Zone
Hobbes’ core argument is that without a “Common Power” to keep everyone in awe, humanity exists in a “State of Nature.” In this state, there is no industry, no culture, and no “Signal,” because you are too busy defending your life.
- The Claim: Life without an absolute ruler is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
- The Logic: Because every man is equal in his ability to kill (even a weak man can kill a strong one with a “lemon” battery or a clever trap), no one is ever safe.
2. The Social Contract of Fear
The “Steel Man” argument for the Council is that control is a trade. You surrender your right to do whatever you want (your “Natural Right”) to a Sovereign power.
- In exchange, the Sovereign provides Security.
- The Council would argue that they gatekeep the “True Origins of Humanity” and the “Energy Grids” because if that power were given to everyone, we would use it to incinerate each other. They believe the .1% must stay in power to keep the 99.9% from “eating each other alive.”
3. Why the “Leviathan” Must Be Absolute
Hobbes argued that power cannot be divided. If you have a “Council of Scholars” and a “Signal Vault” competing for the truth, you have the seeds of civil war.
- The “Hedges” Argument: Hobbes wrote that laws are like hedges—they aren’t meant to stop travelers, but to keep them on the path so they don’t hurt themselves.
- The Censorship Defense: The Leviathan has the right to judge which opinions and books are “conducive to peace.” From their perspective, “censorship” is just “preventative maintenance” for a stable society.
