Thomas Hobbes Flashcards
Conservatism
when was he alive?
1588-1679
most famous work?
Leviathan (1651)
view of human nature?
sceptical
needy + vunerable
likely to commit destructive acts
what was before state?
no cooperation/voluntary arrangements between people
no ‘natural rights’ (cited by liberals)
what was state of nature?
place of scarce resources
ppl governed by self-interest
how was human nature shaped?
a restless desire for acquisition of goods
a distrust of others
a constant fear of violent death
life in state of nature quote?
‘(solitary, poor) nasty, brutish, and short’
where did ‘natural chaos’ stem from?
absence of formal authority
mankind was left to form its own version of un/acceptable conduct
everyone’s version was different- so would lead to uncertainty + war
what else did he think about human nature?
it was not wholly irrational- mankind would eventually realize SoN was against self-interest + would agree to a ‘contract’
what would occur under the ‘contract’?
ppl would render to a sovereign (the state)
state would make (restrained) rules- allow order + security, lead to a ‘society’
ppl could progress
what would state have to be in order to work?
autocratic
if power was dispersed, conflicts like in SoN would be replicated
main reason for state?
order and security
would have to be autocratic, intimidating, and forbidding
