Hobbes and Grotius on the Foundation for a Moral Order

Like Grotius, Hobbes believed that the foundation for a moral order could exist in a recognition that each individual was justified in preserving himself. However, unlike Grotius, Hobbes did not think this was enough. Instead, there would have to be some overcoming of all the disagreements about everything else, particularly the actual circumstances in which people might be justified in preserving themselves. This disagreement over the implementation of that foundational right is the key issue. If it can be overcome, then Hobbes - like Grotius - would agree that there will be a secure basis for a moral consensus. ~Richard Tuck, "Introduction" to Hobbes' Leviathan (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p. xxix.