...Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who was born April 5,1588 and died December 4,1679. He attended Oxford University where he studied classics. He was a tutor by profession and also traveled around Europe to meet scientists and to study different forms of government. Thomas Hobbes was the first great figure in modern moral philosophy. He became interested in why people allowed themselves to be ruled and what type of government would be best for England. Hobbes had a pessimistic view of people. His view was that humans were mean creatures who would do anything to better their positions. Also that people could not be trusted to make decisions on their own and a country needed an authority figure to provide direction and leadership. Therefore, he believed in monarchy- a government that gave all power to a king or queen. He said that democracy would never work because people were only interested in promoting their own self-interests. Despite this doubt of democracy, he believed that a contrasting group of representatives presenting the problems of the common person would prevent a king from being unfair and cruel. Hobbes originates the phrase 'Voice of the people' meaning one person could be chosen to represent a group with similar views. Legitimacy of government Hobbes was a dedicated materialist. The views that got him in trouble were related to this, as Hobbes claimed to believe in God...
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...THOMAS HOBBES Thomas Hobbes was a British philosopher who believed in Empiricism a theory that believes one gets their knowledge of the world comes from our sensory experiences through our hands, and mouth. At the time Hobbes wrote “The Leviathan” England were at upheaval over the civil war so he wrote “The Leviathan” as to show his observation on how Humans really are in their natural state with his assertion he suggest since being a royalist that to preserve peace , Man should form social contract. He believed any form of government is better than none. His Philosophy along with those of Machiavelli were seen as the foundation for Modern political thinking. Just like Machiavelli assertion that humans are essentially evil and selfish, Hobbes also believes that human are inherently selfish. The Mortal God as Hobbes describes “The Leviathan” is created in order to protect the people creating and enforcing the laws. Thesis Hobbes claim that when man is left in “The State Of Nature” he is unable to preserve his life making it brutish and short therefore man should form an social contract allowing an absolute authority the (sovereignty) create and implement laws they should follow in order to maintain peace and avoid civil war. Insight 2nd Paragraph Thomas Hobbes and Niccolò Machiavelli both make similar assertion but greatly contradicts one another. Both Hobbes and Machiavelli have a pessimistic view on human nature. Thomas Hobbes believes that humans are only interested...
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...Political Thinkers: Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Abstract The Social Contract theory which dominated the European political thought in the eighteen century has played a very important part in the development of the modern political theory and practice. Being the most important of all the speculative theories, it came into being as a result of reaction against the theory of the Divine Origin. This theory was the first to denounce the influence of the church in the state affairs, provided an explanation for the origin of the state and shows the relationship between those who governs and those who are governed. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are the chief exponents of the Contract Theory. Both of them have established their thesis from the beginning of human habitation, though their ideas and opinions are quite distinct. Hobbes in his theory has only described one contract where Locke has described two. Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan” and John Locke’s “Two Treaties on Civil Government” these books are considered as bibles in the evolution of modern states system. Though there are criticisms and debates regarding the social contract theory, but the modern political theories today have evolved from these contract theories which has no doubt. The aim of this assignment is to compare and contrast between Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and explore their contribution in the development of international relations according to the analysis of their works. Introduction Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan...
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...What is it that binds mankind together? What force exists that can take such a diverse and unique population and subject all of said population to its will? Natural law is meant to be a standard rule which applies to the entirety of mankind and naturally such a thing (if indeed there is such a thing) has been a topic that many philosophers have discussed since the beginning and have well…naturally come to their own conclusions about. St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are such philosophers and have worked a great deal with this exact topic. St. Thomas Aquinas understands natural law simply as the rational participation in what he calls the eternal law (the laws of the physical world around...
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...Subjectionis”. By the first pact of unionis, people sought protection of their lives and property. As, a result of it a society was formed where people undertook to respect each other and live in peace and harmony. By the second pact of subjectionis, people united together and pledged to obey an authority and surrendered the whole or part of their freedom and rights to an authority. The authority guaranteed everyone protection of life, property and to a certain extent liberty. Thus, they must agree to establish society by collectively and reciprocally renouncing the rights they had against one another in the State of Nature and they must imbue some one person or assembly of persons with the authority and power to enforce the initial contract. In other words, to ensure their escape from the State of Nature, they must both agree to live together under common laws, and create an enforcement mechanism for the social contract and the laws that constitute it. Thus, the authority or the government or the sovereign or the state came into being because of the two agreements. Analysis of the theory of Social Contract by Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes theory of Social Contract appeared for the first time in Leviathan published in the year 1651 during the Civil War in Britain. Thomas Hobbes’ legal theory is based on “Social contract”. According to him, prior to Social Contract, man lived in the State of Nature. Man’s life in the State of NATURE was one of fear and...
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...mankind" was deduced by the 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, in Leviathan. Hobbes argued that all humans are by nature equal in faculties of body and mind. From this equality and other causes in human nature, everyone is naturally willing to fight one another: so that "during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man". In this state every person has a natural right or liberty to do anything one thinks necessary for preserving one's own life; and life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" (Leviathan, Chapters XIII-XIV). In short Hobbes believes is self-preservation, even if something was someonelse's, if you felt the need for it you had the right to fight for it and claim it as your own. Hobbes described this natural condition with the Latin phrase bellum omnium contra omnes (meaning war of all against all), in his work De Cive. Within the state of nature there is neither private property nor injustice since there is no law, except for certain natural precepts discovered by reason ("laws of nature"): the first of which is "that every man ought to endeavor peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it" (Leviathan, Ch. XIV); and the second is "that a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defense of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against...
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...HOBBES Thomas Hobbes argues that the “State of Nature” is the condition where we are forced into contact with each other in the absence of a superior authority. Where we would imagine that people might fare best in such a state, also where each decides for themselves on how to act, and judge. Unfortunately, people cannot be trusted always to follow their will. Hobbes describes this situation as “the condition of mere nature” a state of perfectly private judgment upon any reasonable suspicion. Also, where there is no agency with recognized authority to resolve arguments and the power to implement its decisions. If this were the state, then life of a man would be nasty, disagreeable, violent, short, and solitary. If this is the State of Nature, then people have the strong reasons to avoid it. Hobbes felt that society naturally correspondent to a State of Nature, and that this State of Nature is a State of War, a war of “all against all”. In order to avoid living in a State of Nature, and therefore avoiding a State of War, which can only be done by submitting some mutually recognized public authority. Therefore a sovereign had to be erected; the sovereign would be given the rights of all their subjects and be able to enforce peace. Hobbes vision of an absolute sovereign is a sovereign with unlimited power, because if the power of sovereign were limited, then it would have to be limited by an even higher power. He also divided the power of the sovereign, and the rights that were...
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...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was signed between the Barons of Medieval England and King John. The |The Magna Carta established the right of due process and provided a basis of higher law that could not | | |Great Charter was signed at Runnymeade near the Windsor Castle and was an attempt by |be altered by executive mandate or legislative acts ("Magna Carta: Cornerstone Of The U.s. | | |the Barons to prohibit the King from abusing his power over the people ("Magna |Constitution", n.d.). | | |Carta", 2000-2012).. | | | |The Magna Carta consists of 63 clauses, many of the clauses address the English legal |Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. (n.d.). Retrieved from | | |system. It states that every man shall...
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...What is politics? For centuries humans have argued constantly about everything. There is always someone who disagrees with another human’s point of view. When discussing politics there are numerous questions that require answers. What will be discussed in this essay is the question many people have longed to have an answer for. What is politics? By regurgitating Aristotle and Thomas Hobbes in this essay, we will get to define politics. Aristotle believes that man is naturally geared towards the well being of a community whereas Thomas Hobbes believes the exact opposite. Hobbes believes that humans are individually minded and only focus on themselves. By elucidating both point of views we will then be able to decide for ourselves which one of these authors seems to be more right in defining what is politics. While reading Aristotle’s book Politics Aristotle firmly asserts that the city-state exists by nature. He writes: A complete community constituted out of several villages, once it reaches the limit of total self-sufficiency, practically speaking, is a city-state. It comes to be for the sake of living, but it remains in existence for the sake of living well. That is why every city-state exists by nature since the first communities do. (Page 3 Lines 26-30). Once a community fully becomes independent and does not require any outside help in satisfying their needs that is when a community becomes a city-state. Here we see Aristotle’s assertion that a “city-state exists by...
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...So this is a life essentially lived in fear. And so for Hobbes then, a social contract would be formed by people to create a political society, reflecting a desire to ensure they can get the goods they need for a decent life and also out of fear of their death. The basis of this social contract, he argued, was natural law which is arrived at by using our reason. And this forbids man to do anything destructive to his own life. The source of this natural law is the natural right of each man to do whatever he considers necessary to preserve his own life. Each man also has liberty, in other words, the freedom to do whatever he would choose to do. And deriving from all this, in order for men to maximise self preservation, there is a general rule of reason. In Hobbes' words, this rule is to seek peace and follow it by all means we can to defend ourselves. And following this is a second law. When others are willing, a man shouldn't limit his liberty against other man, again, in his words, as he would allow other men against himself in order to promote peace and self preservation. But Hobbes accepted these natural laws were not going to be effective in the state of...
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...The Purpose of Government What is the Purpose of Government? Ronald Reagan said “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” This quote follows the fundamental principles of a Social Contract as described by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Though the two Enlightenment thinkers had some contradicting views they came to the same conclusion. Government is created by the people, for the people. Thomas Hobbes was the first person to explore the idea of a social contract between citizens and their government. Hobbes was an influential Enlightenment thinker who believed that people are naturally selfish and violent and that life without government is “nasty, brutish, and short.” He argued that people...
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...Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes were 17th and 18th century philosophers with contrasting theories about human nature. Rousseau published first part of his Discourse on Inequality arguing that men in a state of nature are free and equal. In their theories, both Hobbes and Rousseau’s appeal to the state of nature are quite different. This paper will discuss how Rousseau’s understanding of fear of death of human nature differs from Hobbes’s understanding. Hobbes believes that man is always in the fear of being killed in a painful way because everyone is an enemy of each other. Hobbes says life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes, 76). The fear of a short life that ends badly should be the glue that holds society together....
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...The Grapes of Wrath directed by John Ford is a 1940 film based on the Pulitzer winning novel by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of the Joads who during the Great Depression in the 1930s were run off their farm in Oklahoma. The film details their journey to California in search of work and a new beginning for their family. This paper will relate the main character Tom Joad to the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and his theory of the state of nature and government as an artificial creation, and Jim Casy to Jean Jacques Rousseau’s theory of government and society as inhibitors of our natural freedoms. The Grapes of Wrath Tom Joad, played by Henry Fonda in the 1940 drama film Grapes of Wrath, is the main character who opens the movie returning to his home in Oklahoma after serving four years in prison for manslaughter. On the way he runs into Jim Casy, the former preacher who warns Tom that most sharecroppers have been evicted due to the effects of the depression. Once finding his family’s farm deserted, he finds them at his uncle’s farm preparing to also leave the next day for California in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. As they begin their treacherous journey across Route 66, the Joads and Casy endure many hardships. Grandpa, who didn’t want to leave his land, dies and is buried alongside the road. Then they run into a man who informs them that there is no work in California, but with not feeling they had any other options, they carry on with hope that they...
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...self-determination, the primacy of the individual and the nation, as opposed to the family, the state, and religion, as being the fundamental units of law, politics and economy. • Liberalism first became a powerful force in the Age of Enlightenment, rejecting several foundational assumptions that dominated most earlier theories of government, such as nobility, established religion, absolute monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings. • The first notable incarnation of liberal unrest came with the American Revolution, and liberalism fully flowered as a comprehensive movement against the old order during the French Revolution, which set the pace for the future development of human history. SLIDE 3 • The early liberal thinker John Locke, who is often credited for the creation of liberalism as a distinct philosophical tradition, employed the concept of natural rights and the social contract to argue that the rule of law should replace absolutism in government, that rulers were subject to the consent of the governed, and that private individuals had a fundamental right to life, liberty, and property. • Developed a theory...
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...How successful were Hobbes and Locke in their attempts to justify the existence of Human Rights? In this essay, the main distinctions of Hobbes and Lock’s work will be discussed and how their work contributed to the existence of human rights. Other predominant thinkers, such as Bentham and Marx will be brought in to critically evaluate Hobbes and Lock’s attempts on human rights. Finally a conclusion will be drawn upon these points to state whether Hobbes or Locke was Successful to justify the existence of human rights or whether there were any flaws in their thinking. “Human rights are the rights that everyone has, and everyone equally, by virtue of their very humanity. They are grounded in an appeal to our human nature.” (R.T Vincent, human rights and international relations, page 13). Human rights are a concept that has been constantly evolving throughout human history. They had been intricately tied to the laws, customs and religions throughout the ages. One of the first examples of a codification of laws that contain references to individual rights is the tablet of Hammurabi, which was created 4000 years ago, it is considered barbaric by today's standards, the system of 282 laws created a model for the legal system. This kind of model and legally binding document protects the people from arbitrary persecution and punishment. The...
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