Chapter 1 Flashcards
Why do we even consider the state of nature?
to imagine a hypothetical world with no government
What is the state of nature?
What the world would look like if we had no governmental structure
What did hobbes say the state of nature would be like?
A state of constant violence
Hobbes describe human nature with the word Felicty, what does it mean?
continual success in achieving the object of desire
Human’s search for Felicity causes what in the state of nature?
constant state of war
What was Hobbes definition of power?
One’s present means to obtain a future good
In a human’s quest to guarantee felicity, they must seek power - what does this cause?
the state of nature to be a state of war
what did hobbes believe about power?
once humans have power they will always want more
What does Hobbes assume about the state of nature?
He assumes scarcity of goods in the state of nature - people desire the same things and compete for them
What did Hobbes believe about natural equality?
that we are all physically equal in that we all relatively have the same amount of strength and skill
What were Hobbe’s three reasons for attacking / aggression in the state of nature?
- For gaining scarce goods
- For safety (to pre-emptively invade invaders)
- For glory or reputation so people know you are the strongest
What is Hobbes counterargument to people who say he exaggerates that the state of nature will be a state of war ?
the state of nature won’t be war but it will be a state of constant readiness to fight
What does Hobbes argue about Morality in the state of nature?
There is no morality in a a state of nature “nothing can be unjust”
Why does morality not exist in a state of nature for Hobbes?
for injustice to occur a law has to be broken so because there is no common power there is no law and no injustice has occurred - anything is allowed
under the state of nature what did hobbes say people had the right to?
everyone has the right to everything
what is the most reasonable act of self defense in a state of nature for hobbes?
to invade others to gain a reputation of strength
What is Hobbes fundamental law of nature ?
To seek peace if others are doing so
What did hobbes say (in the state of nature) to do ?
ONLY be peaceful / follow the laws if others are also doing so. Otherwise you have to break the law to not be at a disadvantage
What was Locke’s fundamental law of nature and what did it imply?
that mankind must be preserved as much as possible because we are creatures of god and therefore should not harm each other and should help each other in the state of nature.
What was Locke’s idea of the executive power of the law of nature?
right to collective punishment prevents crime in the state of nature
Locke believed in the right to..
Collective Punishment
Locke’s belief in the right to punishment in the state of nature is WHY..
This is why it would not be a constant state of war
The most important right to Locke is
private property
What is the central difference between locke and hobbes
locke thought that the state of nature would be peaceful because of a collective right to punishment that would discourage violence - hobbes thought that the state of nature would be war and the only way to discourage violence would be with a greater power
how did locke and hobbes disagree with each other over the scarcity of goods ?
hobbes thought that people often desire the same things which turns them into enemies locke thought that the world was vast and that scarcity is not an issue
locke thought that scarcity
was not an issue because the world is abundant
what does locke’s position of abundance imply?
the state of nature will not be violent
What did locke believe will cause the development of scarcity?
MONEY will cause scarcity because people will cultivate more land than they can consume in exchange for surplus of money and eventually drain the world’s abundance
what did locke think about the collective right to punishment ?
- That it would prevent war in the state of nature 2. That it would rarely have to be used because of the abundance / non scarcity in the world
what was Locke’s main problem with the state of nature?
violence won’t be an issue bc of abundance, but interpretation of the laws of nature would be a problem - people will argue whether an offense has taken place or not
What did Rousseau believe about human suffering?
Humans don’t like to see eachother suffer - we have a sense of pity
Rousseau believed that compassion acted as
deterrent to violence in the state of nature
Rousseau believed that god makes things good and that humans..
corrupt everything they touch
what did Rousseau believe about the development of the sciences?
it’s done more to corrupt society than to benefit
Rousseau believed that in a state of nature people will respect each others rights on a basis of
pity and compassion
what is a counter argument for rousseau’s idea of pity?
the influence of pity fades when resources are scarce and there will be violence
Rousseau argued that in a state of nature, humans are moral because
humans have an aversion to harming each other AND NOT because we actually view things as immoral in the state of nature
What is the idea of a savage in political philosophy?
a type of human who is literally primitive and only desires sexual satisfaction, food, sleep, and fears only hunger and pain
What were the two unique features that rousseau thought separates humans from animals
- Free will, and 2. The capacity for self improvement.
What did Rousseau believe caused scarcity?
innovation
What is a corrupted need?
a luxury good that the previous generation was fine with out but now the loss of this good would be considered devastating to the latest generation ?
