hobbes specific

hobbes nickname

monster of malmesbury

when did hobbes write

during the English civil war

hobbes nickname

monster of malmesbury

when did hobbes write

during the English civil war

hobbes most important piece of work

leviathan

what is the divine right of kings

the monarchy has authority because they have been granted their status on earth by god, one of the justifications for political authority

why did hobbes reject the divine right of kings

he believed that political authority came from social contracts not from god

Aristotles understanding of human nature

teleological, the nature of something refers to its purpose, nature is animated by its purpose

hobbes understanding of human nature

the nature of something is the ‘stuff’ that its made of, as a result of external forces acting upon inanimate things, mechanical, we are a collection of atoms

what is human and animal behaviour explained by

desires and impulses, we want things and our behaviour is governed by our attempts to secure them

what is our natural state according to hobbes

one of ‘warre’

why is physical strength not important in the state of nature

those who are weak have other means of killing those who are stronger than them through psychological advantages or making alliances with others

what is the main issue in the state of nature

we all want the same things and so we will fight others for what ever we feel entitled to, we become hostile in order to satisfy our own needs

life in the state of nature

‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’

verification for behaviour in the state of nature

we all have the natural right to work towards our own self preservation, with no authority we cannot focus on being selfless

what natural rights do we have

the right to steal, maim and kill to to preserve ourselves

what is the fundamental law of nature

every man, ought to endeavour peace. even though we can do awful things, we should try not to unless it is completely necessary

hobbes second natural law

people ought to give up some of their natural freedoms in order to secure peace

what is the aim for the laws of nature

individuals in the state of nature would be motivated to lay their natural rights aside to form a commonwealth with one another, in which they are ruled over by a sovereign

the social contract in the state of nature

everyone wants peace in the end so we must all agree to allow a sovereign to rule over us to keep things in order and to stop the hostility

what is the sovereign

an artificial creation of the people that represents those who have endowed them with authority, could be multiple people or just one

sovereign rights

• securing the safety of their subjects

• to choose their own successor

• to control education, information and religion

• determine rules on property and ownership

• going to war and settling with other states

• making laws

• demanding taxes

sovereign duties

• to secure the survival of their subjects

• refraining from peace-threatening policies

why don’t we need a monarch

it would make more sense to have more than one person ruling over people, single will isn’t always better

the issue with the social contract

we didnt really sign a social contract, tacit consent isn’t binding. hobbes just assumes that if were in the state of nature then we would sign it but this isn’t necessarily true

do we have the right to rebel?

according to hobbes, no, unless the sovereign starts to threaten our life

why could we rebel against the sovereign

because the sovereign is there on the basis of self interest so as soon as the authority runs contrary to our self interest then its fine to rebel

indirect threats from the sovereign

starving healthcare services of money, arrest, execution