Period G - Helen Saad, Annie Williams, Mary Wesalowski, and Catie Corriveau
Thomas Hobbes April 5, 1588 - December 4, 1679
Champion in Moral and Political Philosophy
Background
Thomas Hobbes was born in 1588 in England, the son of a poor and disgraced man. Thanks to help from his uncle, he had enough money for education. Thanks to his uncles financial and moral support, Hobbes was able to attend Oxford and earn a job as a tutor for the Cavendishes, a noble family, and later for King Charles II. Because of Hobbes' career, he was in social circles with nobles, which did not make him powerful but he became associated with people who were. During the English Civil War, a time of intense political turmoil, Hobbes decided it was best for his safety to flee the country and take refuge in France. The political instability of his time influenced Hobbes' opinions of politics, which became infamous for their support of a totalitarian ruler. He spent many years traveling Europe and discussing with some of the greatest minds of the age, such as Descartes and Gassendi. During his travels he became known among other things as a scientist, mathematician, translator of Greek and Latin, and a religious writer. Thomas Hobbes died of natural causes in 1679, when he was 91 years old (Hobbes, 2005).
Views of Human Nature and Society
In his most famous work, Leviathan, published in 1651, Hobbes explained his views on human nature and society. Hobbes viewed humans as sophisticated objects that can be explained and described using mechanical terms. Specific desires are a result of pain and discomfort that humans need to overcome. He claimed that a human only acts to preserve his or her own well being. Therefore, a person's will is no more than a direct result of his or hers strongest current desire. He believed that left to their own devices, humans were destined to reach a "state of war", in which each person lived independently and was concerned with their own selfish wants (Hobbes' Moral and Political Philosophy, 2001).
Because of these beliefs, Hobbes presented a controversial view known as the "social contract theory". This theory concluded that humans should be submissive to absolute sovereign power. Having lived through the English Civil War, Hobbes maintained the theory that any government but one with absolute control would dissolve. He used nature as an example of no agency of enforcement or authority. Hobbes determined that nature is a baseline to justify his political views. In addition to his political opinions, Hobbes also assessed the debate of good versus evil, claiming that it is the nature of humans to be born one way or another (Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679).
Hobbes' Political Views Compared to North Korea's Today
Hobbes had extremely authoritative political views in that he believed that as humans we need government to control us or we will be reduced to savagery and murder. His belief is that the government should take a heavy hand to the public and basically control every aspect of its citizens lives. Today, a similar view would be that of the North Korean government. Since the 1940's North Korea has been under the one party rule of the KWP (Korean Workers Party) which was founded by Kim Il Sung in 1946. Every worker, peasant, or revolutionary can join the party (Korean's Workers' Party, 2011). The military plays a major role in the hierarchy of the KWP. Kim uses the party and government to consolidate his power and because it is a highly centralized communist state. The North Korean government today is very much built upon the same political views as Hobbes in that the government is all powerful and controls all aspects its' citizens lives and society (North Korea, 2011).
Catholic Views of Human Nature vs. Hobbes
Human beings were born with free will
Human beings were created good but were slanted by their own free decisions to sin
All humans were in a state of “original holiness and justice” but lost these due to the original sin of Adam
Man is dependent on his Creator
Humans have an inclination to rebel and sin in connection with Adam’s sin
Humans are born with an instinctive sense of what is right and what is wrong called “natural law”
Salvation is the goal of human existence
Humans were created to live in harmony with and find salvation in God
(Roman Catholicism Human Nature, 2008)
Clearly, these views are in contrast of Hobbes. While the Catholic belief is that all humans are basically good, Hobbes maintains that humans left to their own devices will destroy themselves. Also, it was Hobbes' belief that human beings have the right to judge what will guarantee their self-preservation. This is opposite of Catholic beliefs, which credit God as the only true judge and only one responsible for the preservation of man. In addition Hobbes does not see man as dependent on his Creator as Catholics do. Hobbes' views are at complete odds with those of the Catholicism because he does not agree that humans are basically good, he does not recognize God as a natural ruler over man that humans are dependent on. Therefore, Hobbes naturally disagrees with the Catholic church that the purpose of human existence is to reach salvation through God (Hobbes' Moral and Political Philosophy, 2001).
Works Cited
"Hobbes' Moral and Political Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2001. Web. 01 Sept. 2011. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/>.
"Hobbes, Thomas: Moral and Political Philosophy [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. Web. 01 Sept. 2011. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/>.
Period G - Helen Saad, Annie Williams, Mary Wesalowski, and Catie Corriveau
Thomas HobbesApril 5, 1588 - December 4, 1679
Champion in Moral and Political Philosophy
Background
Thomas Hobbes was born in 1588 in England, the son of a poor and disgraced man. Thanks to help from his uncle, he had enough money for education. Thanks to his uncles financial and moral support, Hobbes was able to attend Oxford and earn a job as a tutor for the Cavendishes, a noble family, and later for King Charles II. Because of Hobbes' career, he was in social circles with nobles, which did not make him powerful but he became associated with people who were. During the English Civil War, a time of intense political turmoil, Hobbes decided it was best for his safety to flee the country and take refuge in France. The political instability of his time influenced Hobbes' opinions of politics, which became infamous for their support of a totalitarian ruler. He spent many years traveling Europe and discussing with some of the greatest minds of the age, such as Descartes and Gassendi. During his travels he became known among other things as a scientist, mathematician, translator of Greek and Latin, and a religious writer. Thomas Hobbes died of natural causes in 1679, when he was 91 years old (Hobbes, 2005).
Views of Human Nature and Society
In his most famous work, Leviathan, published in 1651, Hobbes explained his views on human nature and society. Hobbes viewed humans as sophisticated objects that can be explained and described using mechanical terms. Specific desires are a result of pain and discomfort that humans need to overcome. He claimed that a human only acts to preserve his or her own well being. Therefore, a person's will is no more than a direct result of his or hers strongest current desire. He believed that left to their own devices, humans were destined to reach a "state of war", in which each person lived independently and was concerned with their own selfish wants (Hobbes' Moral and Political Philosophy, 2001).
Because of these beliefs, Hobbes presented a controversial view known as the "social contract theory". This theory concluded that humans should be submissive to absolute sovereign power. Having lived through the English Civil War, Hobbes maintained the theory that any government but one with absolute control would dissolve. He used nature as an example of no agency of enforcement or authority. Hobbes determined that nature is a baseline to justify his political views. In addition to his political opinions, Hobbes also assessed the debate of good versus evil, claiming that it is the nature of humans to be born one way or another (Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679).
Hobbes' Political Views Compared to North Korea's Today
Hobbes had extremely authoritative political views in that he believed that as humans we need government to control us or we will be reduced to savagery and murder. His belief is that the government should take a heavy hand to the public and basically control every aspect of its citizens lives. Today, a similar view would be that of the North Korean government. Since the 1940's North Korea has been under the one party rule of the KWP (Korean Workers Party) which was founded by Kim Il Sung in 1946. Every worker, peasant, or revolutionary can join the party (Korean's Workers' Party, 2011). The military plays a major role in the hierarchy of the KWP. Kim uses the party and government to consolidate his power and because it is a highly centralized communist state. The North Korean government today is very much built upon the same political views as Hobbes in that the government is all powerful and controls all aspects its' citizens lives and society (North Korea, 2011).
Catholic Views of Human Nature vs. Hobbes
- Human beings were born with free will
- Human beings were created good but were slanted by their own free decisions to sin
- All humans were in a state of “original holiness and justice” but lost these due to the original sin of Adam
- Man is dependent on his Creator
- Humans have an inclination to rebel and sin in connection with Adam’s sin
- Humans are born with an instinctive sense of what is right and what is wrong called “natural law”
- Salvation is the goal of human existence
- Humans were created to live in harmony with and find salvation in God
(Roman Catholicism Human Nature, 2008)Clearly, these views are in contrast of Hobbes. While the Catholic belief is that all humans are basically good, Hobbes maintains that humans left to their own devices will destroy themselves. Also, it was Hobbes' belief that human beings have the right to judge what will guarantee their self-preservation. This is opposite of Catholic beliefs, which credit God as the only true judge and only one responsible for the preservation of man. In addition Hobbes does not see man as dependent on his Creator as Catholics do. Hobbes' views are at complete odds with those of the Catholicism because he does not agree that humans are basically good, he does not recognize God as a natural ruler over man that humans are dependent on. Therefore, Hobbes naturally disagrees with the Catholic church that the purpose of human existence is to reach salvation through God (Hobbes' Moral and Political Philosophy, 2001).
Works Cited
"Hobbes' Moral and Political Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2001. Web. 01 Sept. 2011. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/>.
"Hobbes, Thomas: Moral and Political Philosophy [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. Web. 01 Sept. 2011. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/>.
"Korean Workers’ Party (KWP)." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 09 Sep. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322457/Korean-Workers-Party>.
"North Korea." U.S. Department of State. 2011. Web. 09 Sept. 2011. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2792.htm>.
"Roman Catholicism Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence." Balanced Views of Religion and Spirituality with Faith | Patheos. 2008. Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://www.patheos.com/Library/Roman-Catholicism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence.html>.
"Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)." Thomas Hobbes - Featuring a Biography, Online Works, and Links. Web. 01 Sept. 2011. <http://www.thomas-hobbes.com/>.