Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who argued that people were naturally self-interested and could not be trusted to govern themselves. In his most famous work, Leviathan, he proposed that the absolute monarchy was the best form of government because it concentrated all power in the hands of a sovereign, like a king, who could enforce order and security. Hobbes believed that without a powerful central authority, humanity would revert to a "state of nature" characterized by insecurity, conflict, and a "war of all against all."
5th April 1588 , born in Wiltshire England .Thomas Hobbes was excellent in classical languages.Hobbes's Contribution,Hobbes political philosophy: A summary ,Social Contract Theory: ,Absolute Monarch: , Hobbes concept of war and peace.Relevance of Hobbes’s philosophy in present age:.
5th April 1588 , born in Wiltshire England .Thomas Hobbes was excellent in classical languages.Hobbes's Contribution,Hobbes political philosophy: A summary ,Social Contract Theory: ,Absolute Monarch: , Hobbes concept of war and peace.Relevance of Hobbes’s philosophy in present age:.
Very helpful for UG/PG students about John Locke
General Introduction; Natural Law and Natural rights; Views on Human Nature; Views on State of Nature; Views on Law of Nature; Views on Social Contract; Features of Social Contract; Views on State
Very helpful for UG/PG students about J J Rousseau
Life History; An overview of Work; Views on Human Nature; Views on State of Nature; Views on Social Contract; Views on General Will; Characteristics of General Will; Popular Sovereignty
Very helpful for UG/PG students about John Locke
General Introduction; Natural Law and Natural rights; Views on Human Nature; Views on State of Nature; Views on Law of Nature; Views on Social Contract; Features of Social Contract; Views on State
Very helpful for UG/PG students about J J Rousseau
Life History; An overview of Work; Views on Human Nature; Views on State of Nature; Views on Social Contract; Views on General Will; Characteristics of General Will; Popular Sovereignty
http://www.tomrichey.net
This PowerPoint presentation was made to accompany a lecture on Thomas Hobbes and John Locke in both European History and American Government courses. Hobbes' Leviathan and Locke's Two Treatises of Government are both discussed. Hobbes and Locke are compared and contrasted with a graphic organizer at the end of the presentation.
Visit my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/tomforamerica) to see the lecture that goes with these slides!
La presentazione è stata realizzata da Matteo Del Brocco, Gabriele
D’Eramo, Flaminia Gentili, Roberta Sinopoli nell’ambito di
un’attività di webquest coordinata dal Prof. Pietro Volpones
Week 1, Lecture B Do We Need A GovernmentOften we use words .docxcelenarouzie
Week 1, Lecture B: "Do We Need A Government?"
Often we use words like freedom and liberty without ever thinking about what these words mean. We assume that we all mean the same thing by these words; however, in reality, we all live by different personal definitions of freedom and liberty. Our definitions are not based on a dictionary but are informed by our unique personal life experiences. Consider the diversity even in this course. How might someone understand words like liberty and freedom from a background, culture, age, gender, or even race that is different from yours? Each of us has a unique story that has brought us to this point – and each of our stories is intrinsically valuable and important.
If we think about this level of diversity – how and why do such different individuals come together to exist together in a society?
The State of Nature, or Life Without Government
Simply, freedom and liberty are not the same thing. Let’s consider what we mean by freedom. For our purposes, freedom is doing whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it.
If everyone had absolute freedom and could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted what would our world look like? What would our relationships with each other look like?
These are the questions that political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke asked. These are also question that our founders asked as they pondered the creation of a new nation. They called this condition of absolute freedom the State of Nature – a state in which people lived in absolute freedom with no social structures or government.
For Hobbes, life in this state of nature looked very terrible. Hobbes described the state of nature as:
“In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…”
Additionally, Hobbes suggested:
“For before constitution of sovereign power, as hath already been shown, all men had right to all things, which necessarily causeth war.”
For Hobbes, freedom was each individual having the right to all things. If you have new car, in the state of nature, I have right to take your new car – even by force and violence.
Hobbes is saying that in the state of nature, or trying to live life without government, no form of cooperation between individuals is possible and thus there will be no grocery stores, no computers, no smartphones, no art, and each individual will suffer a very quick and violent death.
The founders of our nation shared Hobbes’ fairly pessimistic outlook regarding human nature. James Madison famously wrote i.
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Thomas Hobbes Leviathan Essay
A state of nature is a hypothetical state of being within a society that defines such a way that particular community behaves within itself. English philosopher Thomas Hobbes proclaimed that, A state of nature is a state of war. By this, Hobbes means that every human being, given the absence of government or a contract between other members of a society, would act in a war like state in which each man would be motivated by desires derived solely with the intention of maximizing his own utility.
He claims that acts of kindness, charity and benevolence are always actions that the performer believes will result in a beneficial consequence for himself. Hobbes basis for this argument lies in the concept of...show more content...The most highly organized social network is called a commonwealth, a web of contracts between members of a community, which according to Hobbes is synonymous to the formation of an entirely new person of which each individual is but a working part (Leviathan 2, 17). Hence the title of Hobbes most famous work, Leviathan, which is a sea monster that lives off of the sea of individuals. And who is to rule this commonwealth?
Hobbes answers that there needs to be a sovereign, to judge and enforce the laws of the contracts (Leviathan 2, 18). This sovereign, who is either chosen by the creators of the covenant (institution) or who forces people under his rule (acquisition) has the final rule in enforcing the laws.
Essentially what Hobbes is saying by all of this is that human beings are not fit to govern themselves. The notion of the social contract serves the purpose of saving us from ourselves because, according to Hobbes, h
Very helpful for UG/PG students about Thomas Hobbes
General Introduction; State of Nature; Views on Social Contract; Features of Social Contract; Concept of Sovereignty
2. Thomas Hobbes was born in London in 1588. He received his college education at Oxford University in England, where he studied classics. Hobbes traveled to other European countries several times to meet with scientists and to study different forms of government.
3. During his time outside of England, Hobbes became interested in why people allowed themselves to be ruled and what would be the best form of government for England. In 1651, Hobbes wrote his most famous work, entitled Leviathan.
4. In it, he argued that people were naturally wicked and could not be trusted to govern. Therefore, Hobbes believed that an absolute monarchy - a government that gave all power to a king or queen - was best.
5. Hobbes’ Famous Writings The Elements of Law (1640) De Cive (On the Citizen, 1642) Leviathan (1651) De Corpore (On the Body, 1655 ) De Homine (On Man, 1657) Behemoth (1682)
6. Hobbes’ Approach to the Study of Politics As a philosopher, Hobbes based his work on macro-anthropological principle. By this, he meant that before we understand the nature of society, we must first adequately comprehend the nature of the human being.
7. Nature of the Human Being For Plato and Aristotle Man is a social being Plato emphasized on man’s rationality and Aristotle stressed on man’s political nature For Machiavelli Man is creature ruled by self interest
8. Equality among men Hobbes believes that men are equal and this equality is manifested in three ways: Equality in the faculties of mind and body; Equality of hope in achieving goals; Equality in the exercise of man’s natural right to self-preservation.
20. Such contract is necessary because for Hobbes, man is not sociable by nature.
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22. Characteristics of the State of Nature “The life of man in a time of war is solitary, poor , nasty, brutish and short.” Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
23. The State of Nature The two cardinal values of war are fraud and force. In this condition men are not governed by rules; there is no central authority; men treat each other as threat to achieve their respective interest; and the only recourse is self-help.
24. The State of Nature Since men treat each other as enemies, there is always the tendency to engage each other in war. In the state of nature, men are driven apart and not drawn together. This is why the life of man in the state of nature is solitary.
25. The Social Contract Through political association the danger and insecurity that exist in the state of nature will somehow be lessened. A social contract is an agreement or covenant among men that they will transfer their natural right to preserve themselves from sovereign entity. The sovereign power can be one individual, an assembly, or several individuals.
26. Characteristics of the Social Contract It has to be voluntary. It must be mutually agreed upon. It involves only the subject. It does not require unanimity
27. The outcome of the Social Contract “… instituted when a multitude of men do agree, and covenant, every one with every one, that to whatsoever man or assembly of men shall be given by the major part of the right to present the person of them all or to be their representative… Everyone, those That voted for it and those that voted against it, shall authorize all the actions and judgment, of that man, or assembly of men, in the same manner, as if they were his own, to the end, to live peaceably among themselves, and be protected against other men.”
28. The Sovereign Power Hobbes explain that it is not enough that men agree to enter into a covenant or contract for these are only words and can easily be ignored. What is needed is the sovereign– a man or an assembly of men who makes sure that the subjects follow the contract.
29. Two ways by which a sovereign can possess power Sovereignty by acquisition Sovereignty by institution
30. SELF-PRESERVATION The sovereign must see to it that an environment conducive to the preservation of the subjects lives is established and maintained. Task of the Sovereign power
31. The Sovereign Power and Its Rights The Subjects cannot make a new contract or covenant without the permission of the sovereign. The sovereign cannot break the agreement. Those who did not agree must now give their consent since it is agreed upon by the majority. The subjects are the authors of the actions of the sovereign.
32. The Sovereign Power and Its Rights The subjects cannot punish the sovereign, or worse, kill him. The sovereign has the right to regulate the doctrine. The sovereign enjoys the power to prescribe the rules governing property– the goods the subject can enjoy and how they may enjoy them. The sovereign has the right to decide on conflicts of law.
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35. Therefore, subjects owe absolute obedience to the sovereign who to stress the point one more time, is their representative.
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39. Thus, the behavior of the men in a state of nature is based on decisions made by the individual and by him alone.