The Ethics of Anonymous Computing: Thomas Hobbes

In his famous 1651 work Leviathan, Hobbes argues that people are inherently wicked and selfish, and he puts forth his ideas for the social contract and laws required by a society of evil creatures. Here we explore some of Hobbes's ideas concerning identity and accountability, and apply them to important issues specific to anonymous computing.

According to Hobbes, because people are inherently evil and selfish, they can not be left to govern themselves. For this reason, he supported the idea of a monarchy--a common-wealth run by a soveraigne, whose job is to provide power and leadership in order to protect his subjects from themselves and their evil.(XVII) Message boards often have a moderator whose job is to maintain order and ensure that postings are on-topic and appropriate. Hobbes's assertion that men require a single leader to preserve the peace applies to this model of a moderator, implying that a message board might not function without the aid of an authority figure. In the case of an anonymous chat room, there can be no single figure of authority because thereis no way to identify him as such.

Hobbes carefully delineates the responsibilities of the members and leaders of a common-wealth. For example, "whatsoever [the Representative] does in the Person of the Body, which is not warranted by his Letters, nor by the Lawes, is his own act, and not the act of the Body, nor of any other Member thereof besides himselfe*" Whatever is done within the law may be attributed to everyone, but outside the law a man is on his own.(XXII) By removing all means of attributing accountability, an anonymous community lacks this fundamental tenet of Hobbes's social contract. A member who commits an unlawful act owns that act, but if an act is committed anonymously, there is no way to attach a man's responsibility to it. An anonymous society has no way of fulfilling the requirements of Hobbes's society, and by his definitions, could not function as a society; evil deeds would destroy it.

In explaining why men require "a coercive Power" while other creatures do not, he blames mankind's perpetual "competition for Honour and Dignity*; and consequently amongst men there ariseth on that ground, Envy and Hatred, and finally Warre, but amongst [other creatures] not so." Hobbes shows tendencies of competition as a result of man's inherent selfishness.(XVII) The problems with competition among men might actually be avoided in an anonymous system: with no way to know who accomplishes what, there is no reason for this continuing battle. [Alcoholics Anonymous embraces this ideology: " Then, too, we believe that the concept of personal anonymity has a spiritual significance for us--that it discourages the drives for personal recognition, power, prestige, or profit that have caused difficulties in some societies. Much of our relative effectiveness in working with alcoholics might be impaired if we sought or accepted public recognition." -AA website]

Hobbes asserts that all men are subject to the Law of Nature, which he summarizes to be "Do not that to another, which thou thinkest unreasonable to be done by another to thy selfe."() It is questionable whether this Law of Nature applies in an anonymous system, where, if a man violates any law, it is impossible to know who he is and therefore impossible for him to receive this punishment in return for his action.

According to Hobbes, because people are inherently evil and selfish, they can not be left to govern themselves. For this reason, he supported the idea of a monarchy--a common-wealth run by a soveraigne, whose job is to provide power and leadership in order to protect his subjects from themselves and their evil.(XVII)	Message boards often have a moderator whose job is to maintain order and ensure that postings are on-topic and appropriate. Hobbes's assertion that men require a single leader to preserve the peace applies to this model of a moderator, implying that a message board might not function without the aid of an authority figure. In the case of an anonymous chat room, there can be no single figure of authority because thereis no way to identify him as such.
Hobbes carefully delineates the responsibilities of the members and leaders of a common-wealth. For example, "whatsoever [the Representative] does in the Person of the Body, which is not warranted by his Letters, nor by the Lawes, is his own act, and not the act of the Body, nor of any other Member thereof besides himselfe*" Whatever is done within the law may be attributed to everyone, but outside the law a man is on his own.(XXII)	By removing all means of attributing accountability, an anonymous community lacks this fundamental tenet of Hobbes's social contract. A member who commits an unlawful act owns that act, but if an act is committed anonymously, there is no way to attach a man's responsibility to it. An anonymous society has no way of fulfilling the requirements of Hobbes's society, and by his definitions, could not function as a society; evil deeds would destroy it.
In explaining why men require "a coercive Power" while other creatures do not, he blames mankind's perpetual "competition for Honour and Dignity*; and consequently amongst men there ariseth on that ground, Envy and Hatred, and finally Warre, but amongst [other creatures] not so." Hobbes shows tendencies of competition as a result of man's inherent selfishness.(XVII)	The problems with competition among men might actually be avoided in an anonymous system: with no way to know who accomplishes what, there is no reason for this continuing battle. [Alcoholics Anonymous embraces this ideology: " Then, too, we believe that the concept of personal anonymity has a spiritual significance for us--that it discourages the drives for personal recognition, power, prestige, or profit that have caused difficulties in some societies. Much of our relative effectiveness in working with alcoholics might be impaired if we sought or accepted public recognition." -AA website]
Hobbes asserts that all men are subject to the Law of Nature, which he summarizes to be "Do not that to another, which thou thinkest unreasonable to be done by another to thy selfe."()	It is questionable whether this Law of Nature applies in an anonymous system, where, if a man violates any law, it is impossible to know who he is and therefore impossible for him to receive this punishment in return for his action.