5.3.1 Conservative Key Thinkers - Thomas Hobbes Flashcards
What was Hobbes Political Stance?
Authoritarian
What did Hobbes say it would be like without a State?
“Nasty, Brutish and short”
What did Hobbes liken the state to?
A mythical sea creature called a Leviathan - a dominant state is needed to keep order
What kind of state did Hobbes believe in?
Autocratic
What did Hobbes believe about power and what political structure did he suggest?
Said dispersed power leads to conflict so we should use an absolute monarchy and have one person in power
Who was Hobbes’ inspiration?
King Louis XIV of France - An absolute monarch
What view did Hobbes have on Human Nature?
Pessimistic - without structures or law and order we would be naturally violent to one another “A war of all against all”
How did Hobbes say humans acted?
Said humans are “Ruthlessly selfish, calculated and competitive”
What did Hobbes say would happen if we lacked a state?
Human relations would lead to “envy, hatred and war”
What was the name of Hobbes’ book?
Leviathan, written in 1671
What did Hobbes believe about society?
Hobbes believed that order must be imposed on a society to stop the dangers of human imperfection.
What Liberal ideas did Hobbes agree with?
The idea that authority is supported by the consent of the people
