Quotes from key thinkers and meanings

Question 1

Hobbes quotes - condition of man

Answer 1

1. The condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone - human nature is a state of conflict

Question 2

hobbes quote - life of man

Answer 2

…. And the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short - without a powerful leader to maintain order, Hobbes describes the state of nature - a hypothetical situation where there is no government to keep people in check, he argues that life would be … with people constantly at war with one another and no stability. This quote highlights hobbes view that human nature is inherently selfish and aggressive and without a strong government to impose order there would be chaos

Question 3

hobbes quote - duty of the leader

Answer 3

3. The duty of the sovereign is to ensure the administration of justice and to protect every subject’s right to his own property

Question 4

burke quotes

Answer 4

1. The individual is foolish, the multitude for the moment is foolish when they act without deliberation - we need traditions and wisdom of the past to guide us, human nature is imperfect, need moral guidance
2. Society is a partnership not only between those who are living but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born - society is a partnership, is the duty of each generation to preserve traditions and values
3. A state without the means of some change is without the means of conservation

Question 5

oakeshott quotes

Answer 5

1. Rationalism is a great danger to political freedom
2. To be conservative is to prefer the tried to the untried - Tradition is an important aspect of society and change should be approached with caution, as it provides a sense of continuity and stability in a rapidly changing world
3. The idea that politics is a matter of principle is one of the greatest delusions of our time - politics should be based on practical knowledge rather than experience
4. The economic enterprise if it is to be free, must be left to the spontaneous adjustments of individuals, to be influenced but not directed by the government - This quote is from his book called On Being Conservative

Question 6

nozick

Answer 6

1. The states does not exist to provide moral guidance or enforce moral obligation it exists to protect individuals and their rights and to create conditions under which they can pursue their own ends and live according to their own values - humans are capable of thinking for themselves without the need for external sources of moral guidance any attempt to make them conform to a set more code is a violation of human Liberty
2. the fundamental question is whether there should be any state at all
3. individuals have rights and there are things no person or group may do to them without violating their rights - individuals have the right to be free from interference and the States role is only to protect rights and should provide a framework of Rules that allows individuals to pursue their own and society should be structured in that way

Question 7

rand

Answer 7

1. I will never live for the sake of another man nor ask another man to live for mine - This refers to the importance of personal independence and self-reliance Rand rejects individual sacrifice and prefers a society where people pursue their own goals without interference from others or governments
2. The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities - individual rights are the constant of society any attempt to subjugate them is a violation
3. The proper function of government falls into three broad categories, all of which involve the issues of physical force and the protection of men’s rights - from her book The Virtue of Selfishness -
4. Man’s mind is the basic tool of survival - This refers to the human ability to think rationally Rand believes that the ability is absolute
5. The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man from physical violence - Strict law order is necessary to protect individuals from harm caused by human imperfection