Dunn: On Hobbes

What is political obligation to Dunn?

Duty of any person to obey the legitimate commands of a legitimate sovereign

What is the nature of membership to political obligation?

Every human alive is subject to one obligation

Where is state power according to Dunn?

Everywhere including polar regions

According to Dunn, what assumption does every modern state make about legitimacy?

Assumes it is legitimate

According to Dunn, what was political obligation for Hobbes?

Recognition that humans prioritise security above all else

According to Dunn, how did Hobbes believe security could be created?

Could be guaranteed by removing individual will and creating a unified will

According to Dunn, why did Hobbes believe humans should obey the sovereign?

Humans are vulnerable and need protecting

How successful does Dunn believe Hobbes is in creating political obligation?

Relatively successful at stating why an individual would support a sovereign power if there was none present

What does Dunn believe Hobbes is not convincing about political obligation?

Not good explaining at why a sovereign should be followed if another states political obligation already exists

For Dunn and Locke, why is Hobbes' conception of liberty is not compatible with modernity?

Sovereign able to use large scale violence

According to Dunn, where does Hobbes admit a flaw in his theory?

Concept of political obligation is flawed as it leads to questions over the legitimacy of the current sovereign

According to Dunn, what can the state offer humans that would not be available in the state of nature?

Unity of will

According to Dunn, what can we not expect from any ruler that Hobbes neglects?

impartiality

According to Dunn, what must we remember about the leviathan which limits them?

The Leviathan is constructed and artificial

Why does Dunn critique Hobbes view that the sovereign can effectively protect individuals?

In modern world the state would/ does struggle to protect every individual

According to Dunn, where does the authority of the Leviathan derive from for Hobbes?

Capacity to intimidate

What is the solution Dunn theorises Hobbes would have to multiple states having nuclear arms?

Creation of a world government