Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679

How well connected was Hobbes?

Travelled extensively across Europe, tutored Charles II, worked as secretary to Francis Bacon

How might that have increased his impact?

His connections allowed him to engage with influential thinkers, disseminate his ideas widely, and gain patronage, enhancing his philosophical impact.

Wrote Leviathan (1651), De Corpore (On the Body) (1655) and De Homine (On Man) (1658)

What sort of reasoning did he champion?

Deductive reasoning

What elements of Bacon’s reasoning did Hobbes view as inadequate?

• Too experimental

• Never provides secure knowledge that is irrefutable

• Element of doubt exists when observed facts cannot be explained

What inspired Hobbes’ belief in deductive reasoning?

Euclid’s (Greek mathematician) Elements - justification of Pythagoras’ theorem

What was Hobbes keen to use deductive reasoning to prove?

Defend the notion of a powerful monarchy

• All men are born bad and Nero was a bad Roman emperor

• He was bad due to being born that way, rather than the system he was placed in

What example did Hobbes give of the flaws of inductive reasoning?

He used the example of the flawed reasoning in the belief that all swans are white based on observations, which was proven wrong with the discovery of black swans.

What other idea did Hobbes propose to explain the nature of the world?

Theoretically monarchs should rule alone as God rules the universe alone and appoints them, but absolute monarchs can abuse their powers

How did this eliminate a belief in magic?

Materialism, supernatural is not founded in matter

What natural explanations did Hobbes provide of magical phenomena, e.g. posessions?

Madness or epilepsy

What room in Hobbes theory was there to justify a belief spirits?

They had material bodies which were too find to be seen by humans

Who had read the works of Hobbes?

John Webster and Balthasar Bekker

Can you see any specific evidence of the impact of Hobbes’ ideas on the above?

Influenced by Hobbes' ideas on social contract theory and human nature.

Explain why the approach of Hobbes coincides with the decline of magic and witchcraft:

Hobbes' emphasis on rationalism and materialism undermined supernatural explanations, promoting a worldview based on scientific reasoning and empirical evidence.