Thomas Hobbes Flashcards
When was Hobbes lifespan?
1588 - 1679
What was Hobbes most famous work and what was it about?
Leviathan (1651), talked about the flawed nature of humans saying they were vunerable, needy and destructive
Says there were no voluntary arangements or cooperation between people before a state existed
What was the Hobssian view of the ‘state of nature’?
A place of scarce resources where individuals would be governed by ruthless self interest
What was the Hobbsian view of Human Nature?
A shapeless desire for the acquisition of resources, distrust of others and a fear of violant death
What is Hobbes’ quote of the ‘State of Nature’?
“Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”
What did Hobbes say was the solution to this ‘Natural Chaos’?
There needed to be formal equality to enforce an unquestioned code of right and wrong
He argued that in the state of nature, people had their own views of what is right and wrong which would lead to war
What did Hobbes disagree with many other conservatives about?
He did not believe that human nature was wholy irrational
He thought that they were rational enough to realise that humans were better off to agree to a contract with the state
He also said that there sould be government by consent
How did Hobbes say the state should be run?
It should be autocratic so the problems with the state of nature are not replicated
