Week #2: (State of Nature)

Question 1

What is the State of Nature?

Answer 1

a situation where no state exists and no one possesses political power

Question 2

Hobbes’ book name

Answer 2

Leviathan

Question 3

Hobbes: Two keys to human nature

Answer 3

1. self knowledge (introspection)
2. materialism - we are matter in motion
   knowledge of the general principles of physics

Question 4

Hobbes: felicity?

Answer 4

• continual success in achieving the objects of desire, sought by human beings
• The search to secure felicity brings us to war in the state of nature

Question 5

Hobbes:power

Answer 5

one’s present means to attain some future, apparent good

Question 6

Hobbes: three reasons to attack in state of nature?

Answer 6

1. Competition: gain
2. Lack of trust: safety
3. Glory: reputation

Question 7

Hobbes: Natural right of liberty?

Answer 7

• The liberty of freedom of each individual in the state of nature to do whatever you think is necessary to preserve/protect yourself
• The right to decide whether someone else is a threat

Question 8

Hobbes: Laws of nature?

Answer 8

1. seek peace if you can get it
2. lay down natural right, if others do too
3. perform your covenants, contract requiring trust

Question 9

Hobbes: Individual and collective rationality

Answer 9

• It is rational for individuals to attack others

- It is rational for collective to seek peace

Question 10

Nash equilibrium

Answer 10

• The best strategy is given by an individual given what everyone else is doing

Question 11

Locke: State of Peace, or War?

Answer 11

• Peace

Question 12

Locke: Equality

Answer 12

1. No one is the natural subordinate of anybody else
2. Morally speaking there is no natural superior
3. Immoral to claim natural authority over someone else

Question 13

Locke: Law of nature

Answer 13

• Everyone should be preserved as much as may be

* Prescribes duty: if each of us should be preserved, it makes us responsible to protect and not kill

Question 14

Locke: Natural Liberty

Answer 14

Liberty is not licence, you’re not free to do what you don’t have the right to do

Question 15

Locke vs. Hobbes - Equality, Law of Nature, Natural Liberty

Answer 15

Locke
- Equality: everyone is equal in rights
- Law of nature: everyone must be preserved, Gods laws & duty to preserve
- Natural liberty: what your free to do if you have a right to do
Hobbes
-Equality - equal vulnerability
- Law of nature – seek peace, lay down natural right, perform covenants
- Natural liberty – preserve/protect yourself by any means necessary & decide if others are threats

Question 16

Locke: Enforcing law of nature

Answer 16

• Law of nature is the law of reason, and it is God’s law
• Not in vain, so need enforcer
• But there must be an enforcer of the law of nature EPLN

Question 17

Executive power of Law of Nature

Answer 17

• Everyone is the enforcer

- EPLN – includes right to punish

Question 18

Locke vs. Hobbes: Scarcity vs. Abundance

Answer 18

Hobbes:
-Natural scarcity and conflict
Locke:
- Natural abundance of land
- Cultivate your own land

Question 19

Locke vs. Hobbes: Why we need a state?

Answer 19

Problem: administration of justice
-Conflict about the law of nature
-When is preserving ok or necessary
- Some lack power to enforce law of nature
-If someone is bigger or stronger, they can’t enforce the law of nature
-There’s no impartial administration of justice
oThe state is need to ensure that we can overcome the inconveniences of the state of nature

Question 20

Rousseau: Human Nature

Answer 20

• Desire for self-preservation: Natural savages

- Pity or compassion for the suffering of others

Question 21

Rousseau: Social man vs. natural savage

Answer 21

• Hobbes and Locke describe civilized man, although they like to believe they are speaking about a natural man
• Civilization has corrupted us
• Savage is unaware of morality

Question 22

Rousseau: Self-preservation vs. compassion

Answer 22

• Scarcity creates a problem
• Self- preservation trumps pity
• So, war seems inevitable

Question 23

Rousseau: The natural savage

Answer 23

• Solitary, no language, fears only pain and hunger

- Desires only food, sex, and sleep

Question 24

Rousseau: How change happens in the state of nature

Answer 24

• Free will & The capacity for self-improvement
• Scarcity to innovation – tool making to progress and collaboration
• Cooperation
• Leisure, luxury goods, corrupted needs

Question 25

Further developments in the state of nature

Answer 25

• Language and comparison of talents
• Agriculture, metallurgy, property, rules of justice, and inequality
• Leads to the state of war
• The rich devise a brilliant plan to hoodwink the poor

Question 26

Rousseau: Cooperation through Innovation

Answer 26

• Mutuality of interest spurs collective pursuits
• The advantages of living in groups, becomes apparent
• The habit of living in these new conditions gave rise to feelings of humanity
  
  • Conjugal love, paternal affection

Question 27

Rousseau: Leisure through Innovation

Answer 27

• Man creates goods past survival needs, and starts to create luxury goods
• Man develops ‘corrupted needs’

Question 28

Rousseau: Transition from state of natural to state

Answer 28

• Languages and societies develop and the opportunity for comparison of talents
• Development of agriculture and metallurgy
• Claiming private property,

Question 29

Rousseau: State is born

Answer 29

• We arrive at war:

- Man comes to the plan to institute social rules of justice to ensure peace: