Learn about Hobbes (1) and Thomas Hobbes Leviathan PPT-1 Complete the required questions in a two-page essay
Hobbes.pdf ”The Leviathan” ”The Leviathan” By: Thomas Hobbes Keep in mind for each author! WHO was your author and when/where was he writing? Who is MAN to each author? What was NATURE to each author? What is the PROBLEM? What is the author’s SOLUTION? Who holds power? Who was Hobbes, when and under what circumstances was he writing? White, wealthy English dude (lived to 99 years old !) Philosopher, scientist and historian From modestly wealthy family; highly educated and intelligent Writing in 1651 during English civil war – WHY DOES THIS MATTER? Recurring themes with Hobbes: Power = AWE Nature Man = SELFISH Conflict = WAR THE SWORD Who is ”Man” to Hobbes? “Strong in body” to physically force/overtake another “Strong in mind” to “conspire” to take down the physically powerful. Man is naturally “selfish” “If two men desire the same thing that which they both cannot enjoy, they will become enemies of each other and destroy one another..they will be in a state of constant war” What is NATURE to Hobbes? A “hypothetical” place of neutrality – free of government. Where “man has a right to all things” Until someone bigger than him stops him! Because of this “freedom”, there are THREE sources of conflict: Diffidence (personal safety) Competition Glory What is the PROBLEM to Hobbes? Because Man is selfish: In “nature”, where all are “equal”, there is no obligation outside one’s self! “Life is short, nasty, brutish, evil and violent.” “Without awe over them, men are constantly in a state of war.” Man has the ability to choose peace over war (order over chaos)! What is the SOLUTION to Hobbes? “The passion that inclines man to peace is fear of death” 2 part solution: Man can use his reason/logic to AGREE to give up liberty in favor of collective security = THE COVENANT The Covenant needs to be ENFORCED! ”A covenant without the SWORD is merely words!” Man must be “tied by fear of punishment to the performance of the COVENANT.” Who holds POWER? Man transfers his liberty to THE ABSOLUTE sovereign (king) who rules with THE SWORD (AWE). Peaceful man, under the control ABSOLUTE = the COMMONWEALTH The result = THE COMMONWEALTH a large, teeming BODY of selfish people agree to be ruled by a sovereign for their own good!!! Please start this week's exploration by going through this narrated PowerPoint with some background on Hobbes and "Leviathan". To hear the narration, it is best to download it and have the presentation in Slideshow mode; in the options tab make sure "Slide Show volume" isn't muted. Alternatively, you can simply click on each separate slide and hover your cursor over the speaker icon in the lower right corner of each slide and hit play. Thomas Hobbes Leviathan PPT-1.pptx Download Thomas Hobbes Leviathan PPT-1.pptx After you have made your way through the PowerPoint, please take a good amount of time to read and digest the essay. Its language is dense and can be confusing. But, if you are looking for the points outlined above, you should be able to make you way through it with not too much trouble. This essay is taken from the book: Cohen and Fermon (EDITORS), Princeton Readings on Political Thought, Princeton Univ. Press, 1996. Hobbes (1).pdf Download Hobbes (1).pdf Finally, once you have finished the essay, please give some thought and respond to the following in a 2-3 page essay: 1. Given your understanding of social contract theory, where do you think Mr. Hobbes stands with regard to it? 2. What is Hobbes's impression of man? Give at least one quote that serves as an example of his impression(s). 3. What is nature to Hobbes' and what is the dynamic or relationship of man to nature, according to Hobbes? 4. What is the problem of man in nature? According to Hobbes, why does man need to leave this hypothetical state of nature? 5. And, what is Hobbes's solution to this problem? Please give at least one quote from the reading as an example. 6. Finally, please identify where in American society, political culture and or government today that you see each Hobbes's vision of man, nature and society and WHY you believe that is so.