Thomas Hobbes Flashcards
Who was the first thinker to give social contract theory in modern period
Thomas Hobbes
Who is considered as the grandfather of individualism and liberalism
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes views on human nature
Self preservation and glory are chief appetite of men, for this they acquire power
Men’s actions are not guided by intellect or reason but mainly by their appetites, desires and passions which are insatiable , no end to it
Restless and perpetual desire for more control, generate competition and conflicts among men . Without any superior power to control, it becomes war of all against all.
State of nature: human life and conditions before State originated according to Thomas Hobbes
Human condition without any political authority was of perpetual fear and constant war of all against all.
Life instead of nature was there for solitary , short, poor, nasty and brutish. This was due to nature of men and absence of any greater power to maintain peace and security.
No sin , injustice, immorality in the state of nature.
No limit to right of natural liberty - everyone has right to every thing.
Each one is Judge , jewellery, and executioner in her own case whenever disputes arises.
Comfortable , civilised life impossible
Meaning of leviathan
The mystical sea monster having unparallel power
Social contract theory by Thomas Hobbes
Guided by natural laws as came to men by sense of reason, they came out state of nature by a contract with one and all where in everyone surrendered their rights and power to a third party,”The sovereign” , which was the soul of and represented the State/government, the Commonwealth.
That’s of rain had absolute unlimited , undivided and unalienable power. It was like the Leviathan , the mystical sea monster, having unparallel power
Though not party to the contract , the sovereign was obliged to secure life and maintain peace and order. People wear duty-bound to obey the laws and dictates of the sovereign.
But citizen still have some rights : right of self preservation and right to do anything as laws says or anything on which law is silent
Political obligation: why should we all be the laws according to Thomas Hobbes?
People consented to have a sovereign through a contract. Hence as per law of nature, they are obliged to maintain the covenant.
Sovereign represents the will of the people , the Commonwealth, the body politic, hence, obeying him is moral duty.
Obeying law will maintain calm and peace and security for which the contract was performed .
Not obeying law would be to break the contract, return to state of nature in which lie would be worse than bad and unjust laws
Materialistic explanation of human behaviour (kinds of motion ) according to Thomas Hobbes
man is composed of matter in motion . There are two kinds of motion- vital and voluntary.
Vital motions are those which are essential for leaving for example motion of heart . Voluntary motions are non-essential motion for life like movement of our hands.
External stimulus which supports vital motions are liked by men. He develops appetite for that . On the contrary, man has Aversions for external stimulus, disturbing vital motions. Basic human attribute is desire which is nothing but appetite and aversion for something. Desires are the driving force for men’s behaviour. This way Hobbes explains human behaviour from laws of motion. We can see how far he relied on science and materialism for explaining psychology and human behaviour.
Hobbes in sovereignty
Social contract of Hobbes visualise sovereignty of a political community lying with the ruler, the government in whom the contracting individuals had wasted their rights, power and will. Sovereignty of the state is represented by the ruler, the absolutist monarch. Sovereign is soul of the common wealth or state.
The sovereign had absolute unlimited, undivided and unalienable power .
His sovereign is like the leviathan.
The sovereign was obliged to secure life, and maintain peace, and people were bound to obey the laws and dictates of the sovereign.
The sovereign is the third party in the social contract and is not party to the contract. Hence, he is not bound by any law and answerable to none. There was no checks and balance on his power. The sovereign can be a person, oligarchic council or elected council. Hobbes preferred monarchy.
When the sovereign is not able to maintain peace and security, the people were justified in not obeying the laws and dictates of the sovereign. They can resist the sovereign or they may change your loyalty to another sovereign.
Three principal causes of quarrels among men in state of nature according to Thomas Hobbes
Completion for power.
Mistrust which moves them to attack others for fear of being attacked by them.
Glory which makes them attack for sake of reputation.
Views of Thomas Hobbes about the state
State is not divine entity, neither a natural institution. It is an artificial creation by contracting individuals for sake of safe and contended lives of the contracting parties.
The state is the Commonwealth , the body politic, the corporate body formed through the social contract.
The state is all powerful, as it pools, power and strength of all . It has monopoly to use force. It is the only entity authorised to use force legitimately to maintain peace and order.
Rights of citizen according to Thomas Hobbes
Right of self-preservation and right to do anything as law says or anything on which the law is silent
Who considered man as bundle of matter in motion
Hobbes
Absolutism in Hobbes political thought
His conception of the sovereign like the Leviathan , they mythical sea montage having unlimited , unparallel power. His idea of sovereignty as absolute , undivided and unalienable powers were absolutism in his political thought.
Who was the first to reject the notion of divine right of kings
Thomas Hobbes
Individualism in Hobbes political thought
Everything in Hobbes’s theory revolves around the individual . How’s his desire for material possession results into anarchy in the state of nature and how he comes out of it by forming a political community which give rise to state. The state itself is individual creation for fulfilling needs of individuals . Thus, Hobbesian state is created by the individuals and for the individuals.
Books by Hobbes
De cive(on the citizen )
De corpore ( on the body )
De homine( liberation man )
The elements of laws
Leviathan - about his seminal creation - social contract theory
First to modernise the tradition of natural law
Hobbes
First modern thinker to give the idea of negative liberty
Hobbes
Hobbes social contract theory was a unique combination of individualism and absolutism. True or false
True
First to legitimiser resistance(revolution) against the ruler
Hobbes
First modern political philosopher to secularise the state, separated religion from politics
Hobbes
First to give modern social contract theory of origin of state and political obligation.
Thomas Hobbes
