Thomas Hobbes And The Political Philosophy - 986 Words

Thomas Hobbes was, as we know, a 17th century British philosopher. We learn in this module that Hobbes was the creator of the political philosophy known as social contract theory and that he was also an egoist. By the revelation of the latter one could easily infer, before diving deeper, that this philosophical theory is based on the inherent selfishness of man. This assumption would, of course, be correct. Hobbes believed that all of mankind is inherently selfish and that to obtain a peaceful and civilized society we had to give up those base desires in the name of security. The idea being that I give up my right to murder my neighbor so that my neighbor is not allowed to murder me. You give up your right to do things that could possible harm other people so that other people do not harm you doing those same things. Hobbes argued that, without an authority to enforce this social contract, man would revert to a â€Å"State of Nature† in which there would be â€Å"no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short†. People will murder, lie, and stealShow MoreRelatedThe Political Philosophies Of Thomas Hobbes913 Words   |  4 PagesAisha Gupta Mr. Ochs World History/Block F 15 December 2014 Philosophers and Philosophies The political philosophies of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Karl Marx all vary in their political philosophies: Thomas Hobbes focused on the power with one, central, absolute monarch, â€Å"upon one man† or â€Å"one assembly of men†; John Locke emphasized that government not rule over the natural rights of every being, and that they are apart from â€Å"any superior power†; and Karl Marx outlined the government leading economicRead MoreThomas Hobbes And The Philosophy Of Political Science1729 Words   |  7 PagesHe started out on the philosophy of political science while on his trips and visits to other countries outside of England to listen to other scientists and learn different forms of government. While studying, Thomas Hobbes wondered about why people were allowing themselves to be ruled and what would a great form of government for England. He reasoned that people were naturally wicked and shouldn’t be trusted to govern themselves because they we re selfish creatures and would do anything to betterRead MoreThomas Hobbes : The Founding Father Of Political Philosophy1149 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, was born on April 5th, 1588 in England and died on December 4th, 1679 in England. He was not born into a wealthy or powerful family, in fact, he was the son of vicar who happened to get into a disagreement with a clergyman outside of their church which resulted in him having to flee home. Hobbes is known to be the founding father of political philosophy. â€Å"His main concern is the problem of social and political order: how human beings can live together in peaceRead MorePolitical Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Rene Descartes1396 Words   |  6 Pagesto examine the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Rene Descartes, in particular their ideas relating to the science of man, and attempt to explain why their ideas prove that it is not possible to construct a science of man.brbrI will also briefl y mention the philosophy of Donald Davidson in regards to a science of man.brbrThe theories of Hobbes and the contemporary socio-biologists attempt to recognise how man works and on that basis build a society.brbrHobbes wished to be seenRead MoreThe Political Philosophies Of Thomas Hobbes And John Locke3805 Words   |  16 PagesThe purpose of this essay will be to thoroughly compare and contrast the political philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. At the surface, these two scholars seem to offer contradictory models of political order, while at the same time relying on similar views of human nature. These men published their most famous offerings, Hobbes’ Leviathan and Locke s Second Treatises of Government, during an era of developing capitalism and market mechanisms. I will discuss the role of the emerging socialRead MoreHobbes, Marx, and Shah1503 Words   |  7 Pagespropagated the idea equality and liberalism (Brians). Romanticism was an international movement which occurred after the Enlightenment during the late 1700s to the mid-1800s (Melani). It placed emotions at the forefront of human thought (Melani). Thomas Hobbes, a very early Enlightenment thinker, has a variety of ideas which do not coincide with those of Karl Marx, an early Romantic. The thinkers of the Enlightenment era, which was the 1700s, were philosophes, and â€Å"they believed that human reason couldRead MoreThomas Hobbes : The Age Of Reason1313 Words   |  6 PagesNolasco Green-Heffern Western Civilization 11/20/14 2 Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes was a political philosopher who lived at the beginning of the Enlightenment period, also known as The Age of Reason. He lived during a time when England was experiencing a lot of political conflict between the king and Parliament. (Green-Heffern) This was also a time when many questions existed about how to rule a country and what made a good government. Thomas Hobbes’ Elements of Law (1640), his analysis of the SocialRead MoreThomas Hobbes s Leviathan 1190 Words   |  5 PagesThe source which will be analysed is the frontispiece of Thomas Hobbes most famous work ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Leviathan’ as a whole. The frontispiece is considered as prominent as the arguments put forth by Thomas Hobbes in the ‘Leviathan’ itself. The frontispiece depicts a crowned figure grasping a crosier and a sword. This figure, or ‘Leviathan’, represents the all-powerful, comprehensive state. When looked at closely, the torso and arms of the figure are made up of hundreds of individual people, whoRead MoreImpact Of Thomas Hobbes During The Age Of Absolutism1009 Words   |  5 PagesThomas Hobbes During the Age of Absolutism The Age of Absolutism was a time during the 16th to 19th centuries where many political, religious and colonial conflicts were rising. Some philosophers began to analyze the ideas of their civilizations in depth toward the end of this time period as it led into the Age of Enlightenment. One of these philosophers was Thomas Hobbes. He had quite a few accomplishments during his lifetime including writing many books and supporting the popular belief thatRead More Thomas Hobbes View on Government Essay567 Words   |  3 PagesThomas Hobbes View on Government      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Hobbes in his controversial work, the Leviathan, declares that such   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a government based on the rule of the common people, would result in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   anarchy and total pandemonium.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But before one can understand Hobbes view on government, it is important   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to understand how Hobbes feels about people. Hobbes has a very   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   materialistic view on the world because of his belief that the movements