Rousseau’s faulty critique of Hobbes’ natural man
In the Second Discourse, Rousseau founds many of his arguments in opposition to Hobbes’ arguments about the state of nature. However, both of their concepts on the state of nature are based on completely different grounds. Rousseau also has a … Continue reading →
The Machines and Monsters in Hobbes’ Leviathan & Rousseau’s A Discourse on Inequality
Rousseau describes the nascent man to be the most successful stage of human kind. He uses the metaphors of a machine and beast to define his ideal state of man. Similar to Hobbes’ Leviathan, who is both a machine and … Continue reading →
To be, or not to be… That is my question to Hobbes
Okay so this is a late post on the Leviathan but here it is… Hobbes seems to have conflicting religious views since he is saying one thing but acting another. He seems to be Christian but says that he does not believe in incorporeal existence. This leads to believe that Hobbes may not be Christian, but actually […]
My post from last year on Hobbes’ Laws of Nature
I said in class I’d post a link to this in case anyone is interested. It’s here on the site, but kind of buried. Here’s a direct link to it on my blog. I still agree with these points, but I’m not sure they go much further than what we already discussed in seminar this […]
Hobbes – The Leviathan, a tyrant ?
Hobbes defines every word he is using, which kinda annoys me and makes me lose track of his main argument, but I still try to find a way to focus and to understand his point. The Leviathan is one man (or group of men/women), ruling the state, maintaining its peace and liberating the people from […]
Would Hobbes vote for his opposition?
It’s election time, and every one of us is probably a victim of the flood of Facebook posts about the different candidates. Most are just reminders of how important it is to voice our views and vote, some openly support a specific party or candidate, and many criticize our current approach to a plethora of issues. This […]
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 is so freaking cool
I seriously appreciate Hobbes, his theories, and the way he explains them. Settle down, settle down. I know many of you will disagree and, believe me, there is no one more in shock than me. It seemed like it was just yesterday that I was on the brink of a mental breakdown because of Plato. […]