Thomas Hobbes Research Paper

The revolution generated radical changes in the principles, opinions, and sentiments of the global people. New ideas and issues affected political ideas. In addition a new government was also changed. A few of the many enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, baron Do Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Thomas Hobbes was born in 1588 in England. Hobbes survived through the English Revolutionary era, and his perspective of human nature built up negatively. He believed that all men were innately bad and evil. Hobbes stated, “... yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves” (Hobbes 1). This quote shows his thought, that all men are selfish and they always think they are better than anyone. Hobbes believed that humans didn't know how to cooperate because same desire would only cause them to be an enemy. Also, Hobbes said that it was the human who limits the development due to their constant war with each other.

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both believe that men are equal in the state of nature, but their individual opinions about equality lead them to propose fundamentally different methods of proper civil governance. Locke argues that the correct form of civil government should be concerned with the common good of the people, and defend the citizenry’s rights to life, health, liberty, and personal possessions. Hobbes argues that the proper form of civil government must have an overarching ruler governing the people in order to avoid the state of war. I agree with Locke’s argument because it is necessary for a civil government to properly care for its citizens, which in turn prevents the state of war from occurring in society. Locke also has a

Hobbes and Locke both abandoned the thought of the divine right of monarchy. Both did not agree with the fact that the ruler or assembly would have all power over its citizens. So basically they were against Absolutism and their views were that of rebels in their time period. Theses two philosophers both held similar ideas but also have conflicting ideas pertaining to the citizens "social contract" with their rulers, "Natural Condition of Mankind," and sovereignty.

During the sixteen hundreds, the French philosopher René Descartes laid the foundations for the beginnings of Cartesian Dualism. In contrast, the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes argued against dualism in favor of materialism. Recently, Cartesian Dualism, and dualism in general has fallen out of favor as materialism arose as a more plausible and explanatory theory regarding the interrelationships between body and mind. The translation Descartes’ writing in the Meditations is far more cryptic than Hobbes’ writing in the Leviathan. Making it far easier to see Hobbes’ claims. Hobbes provides a reasonable explanation against dualism in his objections to Descartes, and in his Leviathan, provides background upon his reasoning in

James Madison strongly believed and supported increasing national power of government and that led him to establish his model known as Madison’s model. James Madison’s design to maximize liberty and still allow the government to govern is proven through the four component parts of Madison’s model. These four components include separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism. The philosophies of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes influenced Madison in a way that allowed him to have both liberty and order at the same time. John Locke believed in individual liberty and freedom from the government whilst Thomas Hobbes believed that the state of nature is that people are born selfish. These two philosophers managed to influence Madison because Madison wanted liberty but also wanted order and that was mentioned in Hobbes’s theory of a strong leader which provided order.

A state of nature is a hypothetical state of being within a society that defines such a way that particular community behaves within itself. English philosopher Thomas Hobbes proclaimed that, “A state of nature is a state of war.” By this, Hobbes means that every human being, given the absence of government or a contract between other members of a society, would act in a war-like state in which each man would be motivated by desires derived solely with the intention of maximizing his own utility.

He was a scholar, which led him to become a tutor for a powerful family, which allowed him access to parliament and other structures of power and government. His experience influenced his work on many books, including his most famous, Leviathan. This particular novel was published in 1651 and outlines the basics of social contract theory and political theories. Leviathan explained the premise that people are selfish and competitive. He believes that by taking away the individual power of each person that it can create a commonwealth that has everyone on the same playing field if this does not happen then it can cause a condition called war, every man against every man (Hobbes, T, Gaskin, J. C. 2008, 84). This early modern philosopher believed in censoring and self-censorship. In Leviathan, part 6 he discusses that the purpose of the sovereign is the right to preserve peace and security of the commonwealth (Hobbes, T., & Gaskin, J. C. 2008). They were to do this by whatever means necessary, restricting certain speech, books, and topics from the commonwealth that were not helping the goal of the sovereign. Censoring certain speech and topics helps to stabilize the environment within the society. Hobbes also practice self- censorship which is when someone refrains from speaking due to hurting others, or themselves. Hobbes would agree with the student’s decision to ask professors to disclose when they were introducing a topic that could offend certain people. Hobbes would only do this, however, if this would help preserve peace on campus and help protect the commonwealth. Hobbes would also ask the professors to self-censor themselves in front of the student and take more responsibility for inflicting “harm” onto the students. In Leviathan Hobbes mentions that a sovereign power should be permitted within the society and that subjects should “submit their wills” to the sovereign powers (Hobbes, T., & Gaskin, J. C. 2008,

Thomas Hobbes had a very interesting outlook on life, something that was so prevalent for centuries, a monarchy. He believed that the ideal world should fall under a monarch, an idea that is outdated in almost every nation across the globe. He was so strong on these ideas, because he believed all humans at their core are selfish creatures. Another thought that he had was that the state should have total control and order over the people, to maintain peace and to destroy the selfishness that exists in

Thomas Hobbes is a philosopher. Hobbes was born on April 5, 1588. Hobbes died on December 4, 1679.Many people only know him by his political thoughts. Thomas Hobbes was influenced by Aristotle,Plato, Niccolo Machiavelli, and many more philosophers. I'll be writing about hobbes political thoughts. Like what hobbes thought of people,political thoughts of the government, and his book Leviathan.

Thomas Hobbes was born on April fifth,1588 in Wiltshire, England. With his education, he began his career easily as a tutor, then philosopher, and published his most famous text 'Leviathan'. His main concern was the problem of social and political order: how human beings can live together in peace and avoid the danger and fear of civil conflict. The criteria for his social contract is that individuals should give their obedience to an "unaccountable sovereign": a person or

The intent of this paper is to look more closely at what Hobbes and Locke wrote concerning the pre-political or pre-social state called the State of Nature; and the transition from the State of Nature to society, referred to as the social contract.

One of the most prolific philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment was Thomas Hobbes ' (1588-1679). In one of Hobbes ' writings, "Leviathan", he suggests that everything in the universe can somehow be explained in terms of their motions and interactions with all other material bodies. Having a passion for mathematics, geometry in particular, Hobbes formulated a theory in

Thomas Hobbes was born in Malmesbury, UK in year 1588. Having been born into wealth, Hobbes was formally educated, his studies included Malmesbury school and Hertford College, Oxford. Up until Hobbes time, political theory had very little change since Aristotle.

With these three authors, they all have the same opinion on the social contract. Thomas Hobbes, James Madison, and Plato all believed that having an absolute sovereign is what will make a society the most successful. This paper seeks to point out the distinct visons of absolute sovereignty that Hobbes, Madison, and Plato articulated by unpacking the central premises of each argument, pitting them against each other through comparing and contrasting.