ABSTRACT
Winstanleypresentsuswithasignificantlymorebenignvisionofthestate ofnaturethanHobbesdoes,onewhichinmanywaysprefiguresthatof Lockeinitscommitmenttopersonalfreedomandequality:
Yetagainthestateofnaturewilldictatethenatureofthestate:thistime around,aprimitiveagrariancommunisticsocietythatwillreplacethecorruptoneassociatedwiththe'Normanyoke',wherehierarchyhassupplantednaturalequality.2The'Normanyoke'mightberegardedasa secularequivalentofthe'fall':thepointatwhichweareforciblyejected fromourpoliticalstateofgrace.Theprimitiveagrariancommunismbeing advocatedbyWinstanleyandtheDiggermovementisdesignedtoreinstate thatconditionofgrace,wheretheHobbesiancompetitiveinstinctis noticeablebyitsabsence.Cooperativeendeavourrulesinsteadin Winstanley,whowishestorevealtohisfellowcitizens,asthetitlepageof TheTrueLevellers'StandardAdvancedhasit,'TheStateofCommunity opened'.3ForHobbes,theexerciseofpersonalsovereigntydividedusfrom eachother,leadingtoevengreaterlevelsofinsecurityforeachindividual. Personalsovereigntyinthisinstance,however,istobeexpressedwithina communalsetting,forthebenefitofhumankindasawhole;with Winstanley'svisionoftheindividualas'aperfectcreature'cuttingacross bothclassandgenderlines.4
