Of Challenges, Hobbes, and History
At the end of her lecture, Professor Hendricks challenged us to think about thinking of the sovereign as not-so-monsturous. This morning, Professor Crawford pointed out several times that Hobbes represents a far more modern way of thinking than Plato. He … Continue reading →
Does everyone really fear death?
Fear of death is commonly seen as the underlying reason for a secure and civil society to exist. Hobbes’ argues in Leviathan the need for a sovereign ruler is caused primarily by the fear of death. Likewise, he also interprets … Continue reading →
Hobbes, my pacifist friend
Hobbes argues in book 15, that the natural state of man is chaos and war, and that “every man aught to endeavor peace, as far as he hope of obtaining it”. He writes that we should follow the first and … Continue reading →
Hobbes’ musings on the mind
Despite being over 350 years old, many of Hobbes’ theories still ring true. While his ideas are arguably no more progressive than those expressed in Plato’s Republic, they are more grounded in reality and reflective of how politics and society … Continue reading →
The Historical Cycle of How People Predict
Hobbes defines predictions as conjectures based on the experiences in the past. In that day and age that theology was prevailing, this point of view was unusual. He argues that only realities exist in nature without any foreshadowing. It is … Continue reading →
Is Fear the Source of All Evil?
According to Hobbes, the state of nature for mankind is a state of constant warfare, where everyone fights against each other in order to survive. Therefore, it is necessary to set up a society where everybody agrees to a contract … Continue reading →
The Logic of War and Peace
While discussing Hobbes’ argument for the natural state of all human beings, there seemed to be, to me, a small contradiction. Hobbes says that people are inherently evil and out to destroy each other. We have a fundamental desire for … Continue reading →
An Artistic Analysis of the Frontispiece of Leviathan
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.jpg. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., 26 Feb. 2006. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. Published in 1651, the political writings of Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, was accompanied by the frontispiece by Abraham Bosse. The bottom half of the piece displays … Continue reading →
Hobbes on Korean Drama
Yes, this is a very strange topic. The past few days I have been binge watching a Korean drama with my roommates. Never before have I felt this many emotions in an hour special. The drama is a romantic comedy … Continue reading →
Psychological Egoism
Today, it is a widely accepted theory that humans are largely motivated by self-interest, or things that are perceived to work in our favour. This theory of psychological egoism is largely attributed to Thomas Hobbes and Jeremy Bentham, but Bentham … Continue reading →