2- Hobbes (Modern State) Flashcards
What is Hobbes’ biggest focus?
The State of Nature and the Civic State
True or False: Thomas Hobbes supported Monarchy
True
What book did Hobbes write?
The Leviathan
What is the Right of Nature?
Each person has the liberty to use their power for the preservation of their life
What is the Law of Nature?
Each person is forbidden to do that which is destructive of preserving one’s life
What happens in the State of Nature?
Perpetual desire of power that only ceases in Death
Competition, Diffidence, Glory
Result is war of every man against every man
What is Hobbes’ idea of the Social Contract?
Fear of death inspires people to seek peace.
Voluntarily transference of rights through a covenant
What are the steps of the Social Contract?
Agreeing to give up natural rights.
Conferring absolute power on one ruler or assembly of people
Creates a Common-Wealth
True or False: Hobbes believes Sovereignty is absolute and indivisible
True
What do citizens get in return for giving up some natural rights?
Security and justice
Def - Civic Liberty
Actions that the sovereign has permitted
Def - Civic Law
Limited liberty of citizens, obligation or command. Sovereign is not subject to the law
Def - Civic Right
Liberty that the Law prescribes. Self-defense and preservation of life
Who was Rousseau?
Political Theorist focused on the Social Contract (based on Hobbes)
What is Rousseau’s focus/concern with the Civic State?
How to preserve human freedom in a world where people are more dependent on each other
What is Rousseau’s “Crucial Moment”?
The moment when a person said “this is mine” and found people who believed them. That created civil society
True or False: Rousseau thinks people are naturally evil and have natural enemies
False
What does Rousseau think has happened through the social compact?
We have given existence and life to the body politic
What is Rousseau’s problem with Social Structures?
They lead to corruption and inequality, where people are domesticated like pets and put into chains
What is Rousseau’s solution to the problems in Social Structures?
General will, Radical popular sovereignty
Def - Civic Freedom
Liberty through the law. And Obedience to the law, moral freedom makes humans masters of themselves
True or False: The Social Contract establishes equality
True
Who is Andreas Musolff?
Politics professor, creates a metaphor for the Leviathan that is a body
What are some body parts of the Leviathan? (Only need to know a few, if any)
Each piece works together to work the Commonwealth, similar to how the modern state works in the Leviathan
Body – Commonwealth
Soul - Sovereignty
Joints – Magistrates
Nerves – Systems of reward/punishment
Hands, eyes, ears – Public ministers
Blood – money
Muscles – Lawful systems
Memory – Counselors
Death – Civil War
Voice – Judges
