Species, Survival, Political Philosophy

Spinoza's brief allusion to "the interest and preservation of mankind" (Political Treatise, II, 8), is to a perspective that is rarely explored in Political Philosophy.  Typically, Hobbes' theme is paradigmatic in the genre--how a Polity can benefit an Individual.  In contrast, implicit in the passage is a consideration of the advantage of organization to the species as a unit.  On that basis, the fundamental scenario of Political Philosophy is Humanity vs. the rest of Nature, a context which transforms concepts such as Survival, Power, and Freedom.  Accordingly, for example, Freedom over Nature pertains to the causal patterns manifest in the latter, not to personal Emotions, i. e. is Technological.  Thus, the Survival of the species is best served by the maximal Power of each of its members, i. e. Democracy is the strongest Polity from this perspective, which, as common to all, is that of Reason.