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POL200 > Hobbes > Flashcards

Hobbes Flashcards

1
Q

what is hobbes’ political context

A

escalation of civil conflicts and state conflicts across Europe (religio-political wars, populist / parliamentary challenges to divine right)
England’s religio-political right
Conflicts over terms of political obligation

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2
Q

what are two differences with Hobbes compared to other previous authors

A

Looking to develop a science of politics (not relying on historical, drawing on scientific advancements)
Breaks down political community into constituent parts

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3
Q

what is the implication of Hobbes’ scientific approach

A

political community is constructed, not natural

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4
Q

Why does Hobbes focus on speech

A

speech is the basis for scientific analysis, and for human society

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5
Q

h, what does speech consist of

A

names / appellations
connections between these components
communicating these to others

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6
Q

h, humans rely on speech to

A

understand our world, live in our world but speech can be misused

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7
Q

h, what is the highest purpose of speech

A

to understand causality

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8
Q

h, true and false are attributes of

A

speech, not of things

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9
Q

h, speech allows for

A

common, accepted definitions of things, these should be the foundational concepts for analysis

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10
Q

what is Hobbes’ computational understanding of reason

A

grouping, categorizing, establishing logical relationships between things

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11
Q

h, proper reason must be founded on

A

accurate names / definitions
faulty foundations = faulty conclusions
otherwise the result is absurdities

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12
Q

what does hobbes say about science

A

it generates knowledge of cause and effect

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13
Q

what does hobbes think that people’s actions are driven by

A

internal motions, both voluntary and involuntary

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14
Q

h, internal motions generate our basic responses

A

appetite / desire for things we want / love
aversion for things we want to avoid / hate
contempt when we’re indifferent

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15
Q

T/F for Hobbes, there is no absolute good or bad, just what we label through our desire and aversion

A

True

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16
Q

does hobbes think humans are evil

A

no, but he believes that humans are self centered, making conflict inevitable

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17
Q

what is deliberation for hobbes

A

is the internal process of the merging of desire and aversion and our assessment of achieving or avoiding them

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18
Q

what is will for hobbes

A

the final impulse that settles the determination for action / inaction (this means that deliberation is a bounded finite process)

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19
Q

what does hobbes think about free will

A

in one sense it a logical absurdity
we’re driven by desires / aversions and inhibited by the actions of others
therefore free will can only ever be provisionally free

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20
Q

h, power can be

A

combined or amplified

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21
Q

what is felicity for hobbes

A

the state of happiness, fulfilling your desires, anticipation of fulfilling your desires or being happy based on previous success

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22
Q

what are some characteristics of felicity for hobbes

A

lack of power / power of others inhibits happiness / felicity
felicity can only be temporary
happiness isn’t rest or tranquility, because it most constantly be resecured

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23
Q

what is Hobbes’ conclusion about felicity

A

we want to securely fulfil our desires, but we can’t. This uncertainty generates “contention, enmity and war”

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24
Q

what is equality in the state of nature

A

equality of vulnerability. these conditions generate uncertainty, distrust and conflict (even pre-emptive actions are allowed for self preservation)

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25
what is the state of war
not only active fighting, it includes any condition where security isn't guaranteed there is no foundation for the good life, civilization
26
what is hobbes' mechanistic picture of humans
calculating machines that are driven by passions and are self interested
27
how does hobbes suggest we escape the inevitable conundrum of conflict
use reason to discover optimal ways to live together, and still prioritize self preservation
28
h, what is the law of nature
is a general rule, determined by reason, by which a person is forbidden to do that which is destructive of his life or take away the means of preserving his life and to leave out that by which it may be best preserved
29
h, what is the right of nature
every man has the right to do whatever it takes to preserve his own nature and his own life and determine the most appropriate means to do so according to his own reason
30
h, what is the conundrum of the state of nature
laws of nature prevent us from putting our lives at risk, but the right of nature gives us wide range to do whatever is necessary to protect our lives and because every man has a right to everything, even to another's body, nothing is secure (we need to protect our lives, but our equally unlimited right to do so puts our ability to do so at risk)
31
h, what is the first law of nature
aim for peace, but if you can't achieve it, use all advantages of war
32
h, what is the second law of nature
make agreements with others to secure your life (be willing to limit your absolute right to self preservation, IF others are willing to do the same)
33
according to hobbes, how can we rely on others to keep their promises
Fear
34
h, what is a contract
the mutual transferring of right
35
h, what is a covenant
a pact to do something in the future
36
T/F agreements are invalid unless they can be guaranteed
True, otherwise they make us vulnerable
37
according to hobbes, under what conditions could be reliably covenant
in a civil estate (commonwealth) where a common power will compel us to keep promises
38
h, what is the third law of nature
follow through on your promises (in a secure situation, covenants establish the possibility of justice / injustice)
39
H, because humans have unlimited natural liberty, this seems to require
unlimited political authority
40
what is hobbes' solution to man's unlimited liberty
introduce a restraint on ourselves (keeping our passions in check), use reason to develop a solution, fear of punishment allows us to honor covenants, the purpose is still self-preservation (we agree to this only if everyone else does) Therefore, we trade to equal vulnerability to everyone else in the state of nature for an equal vulnerability to the sovereign in the commonwealth
41
what is the role of the sovereign
we appoint the sovereign to bear our individual wills and govern
42
what does the sovereign do
since we give up our right of self-governance, it governs for us and can enforce covenants
43
the social contract is between
the people, not between the people and the sovereign (the sovereign is not obligated to us)
44
Hobbes on authorization (artificial persons)
artificial persons can be made up of a number of authorizing individuals, which is what makes sovereign power possible
45
what does the sovereign establish
the possibility of justice by keeping covenants
46
why can't the sovereign be unjust
since i've authorized the sovereign, they can't be unjust to me
47
according to hobbes, what is the source of justice / morality
the sovereign
48
what are some characteristics of the sovereign
cannot be punished by subjects can do whatever is necessary to keep the peace chooses advisors dispenses rewards and punishments decides limits on education and public speech
49
T/F sovereign power must be indivisible (concentrated in the sovereign)
true, although a few powers can be transferred
50
what is the purpose of the Hobbesian commonwealth
preservation of bare life, to provide other contentments of life
51
what are the duties of the sovereign
make good laws, listen to the people, subjects must understand and appreciate the nature of sovereign power
52
what are good laws according to hobbes
necessary for the good of the people protect people from themselves clearly understood justified in terms of benefitting the commonwealth
53
the sovereign should listen to the people but
isn't obligated to represented their views (resonance with Kautilya and Ashoka)
54
can people really understand Hobbes' logic
yes to differing degrees, need regular assemblies for public education
55
what is the real danger to the hobbesian sovereign
clerics and scholars, therefore education must be regulated and constrained
56
T/F subjects do not retain a wide degree of liberty in everything that the sovereign hasn't outlawed
false, they do retain a wide degree of liberty
57
what do the laws of the sovereign do
they don't constrain our liberty, they enable it, laws ensure others won't impede our actions
58
Hobbes is also shifting the requirements of consent
away from explicit or implicit to simply be in line with the logical end of the institution of sovereignty
59
in modern liberal democracies we have
high expectations of giving consent to be governed, but hobbes is removing most of these expectations, and perhaps drawing attention to the many situations in which we submit to authority through tacit consent
60
For hobbes, political rights can only be established by covenant, which could include
submission to a conquering power submission of a baby to its mother, as protector
61
in the state of nature, dominion is
maternal, child gives implied consent through being nourished
62
what happens to dominion in Hobbes' civil society
moves back to male dominion, but hobbes implies that there is nothing natural about patriarchal dominance
63
what is the advice of chapter 29 about in Hobbes
sovereign power can't be divided, sovereign is not subject to civil laws, preventing seditious, undermining doctrines (people can't retain private moral judgement)

POL200 (6 decks)

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