“That every man ought to endeavour peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it.”Thomas Hobbes · Leviathan · 1651 · Partea I, capitolul XIV
Seek peace sincerely, but never lay down your arms without guarantees from the other side.
Hobbes starts from the state of nature, where everyone has a right to everything and life becomes a war of all against all. Reason shows this war is irrational: it is better to give up unlimited right if others do the same. But the obligation is conditional, not absolute: if the other side shows no sign of wanting peace, disarming means suicide. A negotiated truce, reached only when both camps have something to lose, shows exactly that condition.
The next step is to ask: how do you tell if the other side truly wants peace? Hobbes does not ask for blind trust, but for signs. A sign is a costly action, one nobody would take while planning an attack. A neighbour who lends you a tool and leaves the gate open shows something different from one who merely says he wants quiet. Words are cheap; guarantees cost. That is why the first law works only alongside the second: you must show your intentions by visibly giving up your right to everything. Peace is not declared, it is demonstrated. But what binds you, if the other side only talks and gives nothing?
Why it matters The rule applies to any conflict, from a family quarrel to diplomacy: offer peace sincerely, but do not drop your guard until the other side offers guarantees.