06-Hobbes

TheLeviathanHobbeslivedfrom1588to1679◦Politicalandreligiousstruggles,culminatinginEnglishCivilWar(beginning1640)◦Executionofkingin1649◦Cromwell’sCommonwealthLeviathanpublished1651◦NotpoliticallyinfluentialattimeadvocatedabsolutegovernmentasEnglishgovernmentbecamearepublicHobbesinexileuntil1660◦Muchmoreinfluentialtheoretically:“dugthechannelofmodern/liberalpoliticaltheory”(C.B.Macpherson)Reasonandpassions◦reason'simpactislimited,becauseofpassionsarecentral◦“prudence”isapracticalsubstituteforreasonPoliticaltheoryshouldbebasedon“scientific”method◦ContemporaryofBaconandGalileo–opposedscholasticism◦Shoulddefinetermscarefullyanddeduceconclusions,alageometry◦emphasisonlawsofmotionhumansaresocialatomsdrivenbydesirecollisions,inertia,powerallrelevantSocialtheorybasedonanalysisofstateofnature◦humannatureisfree,equal,competitive,andself-centered◦ThisresultsinpoliticalandmoralchaosPoliticalorderisconventional,artificial◦Establishedbycontract◦Justicedependsoncivillaw-artificial,negotiated,positivist◦Lawisdesignedtopreserveorderorpeace,nottopromotesocialgoalsMethodisintrospectiveandegalitarianhowdowediscoverhumannature?-readthyself(Introduction)thisintrospectionyieldsuniversalresultsbecauseweareallessentiallysimilarthisintrospectiongivesspecificcontenttoHobbes’mechanisticanalysis-answersquestionofwhatdrivesmotionofLimbsEpistemologyEmpiricistthoughtsrefertoexternalobjectsofsensation(chap.1)thisisphysicalandinvolvesmotionprudenceisaccumulationofsensations:presumptionoffuturebasedonexperiencesinpastspeechtransformsatrainofthoughtintoatrainofwordsDeductivespeechusesnamesandthesenamescanbeuniversal,ifdefinedcarefullyandagreed-uponcf.geometry-sensoryobservationofsquaresnotaseffectiveaslogicaldefinitionofsquare(chap.4)reasonmakesuseofgeneralnamesreckoning…oftheconsequencesofgeneralnames-axiomsandsyllogisms(ch.5)Reasonobjectiveandconstanttendstobeskeptical,anti-hierarchicalcapacitytoreasonisequal,butrequiresindustrytodevelopPassionsdriveindividualsindividualsareatomsinmotionvoluntarymotionbeginswithimaginationdesireisenergyiflifeislimbsinmotion,thentherecanneverbelifewithoutdesire“tohavenodesireistobedead(ch.8)Passionsanddesiresaresubjectivebasedonindividualsensations:attractionsandaversions(motionstowardandaway)(ch.6)doesnotassumesomesetofuniversalpassions,onlythatallaredrivenbythemthisessentialtotheargumentaswell:ifuniversaldesiresexist,itmightbepossibletodefineothersubstantivegoalsbesidesself-preservationSubjectivityofdesiresequalssubjectivityofgoodandevilforindividual,goodiswhatisattractive,desirable;evilwhatisrepulsivenothingsimplyorabsolutelygoodorevil-thesetermsdonotrefertocharacteristicsoftheobjectsthemselves(ch.6)i.e.humandesireisegoistic,unlessregulatedbygovernmentHowever,goodandevilcanbegivenconventionalmeaningsthroughlawPowerdefined:presentmeans,toobtainsomefutureapparentGood(ch.10)specificinequalities(mental,physical)cancreatenaturalpowermost,however,definedinsocialterms-powerisrelationalPowerrelatedtoexchange:e.g.aman'svalueishisprice,thatistosay,somuchaswouldbegivenfortheuseofhisPower(chap.10)ObedienceisanacknowledgmentofpowerSourcesofpower(insociety)-chap.10wealthintelligentspeechsocialstatustitlesTheQuestforPowerpoweristhenecessarymeanstoaccomplishanyindividual’ssubjectiveendsthereisnoabsolute/universalendtohumanlifewhatcountsthenishavingthemeanstoacquireone'sownends“Iputforageneralinclinationofallmankind,aperpetualandrestlessdesireofPowerafterpower,thatceasesonlyinDeath.(chap.11)Characterizedbyquestforpower(becauseindividualsinmotion,drivenbydesire)IndividualsequalinphysicalandmentaltermsRough,notabsolute,equalityequalenoughtoimplynonaturalsubjection,orrathernonaturaldomination(forlong)Individualsarecompetitivebecauseequalandbecauseallmaybepursuingsameobjectscompetitionnecessaryevenforpreservationpreservationrequiresnotjustdefense,butconstantaugmentationofdominion(i.e.perpetualdesireofpowerafterpower)Thus,thestateofnatureisthestateofwarconstantinclinationtowardconflict-it'slogicallynecessarywarofeverymanagainsteverymanthisleadstoradicalinsecuritythelifeofman,solitary,poor,nasty,brutish,andshortWhereisthereastateofnature?sometimesundercivilgovernment(ratherastateofwar)inpartsofAmerica,amongthe“savages”degenerationofsocietyintocivilwarinternationalrelations–sovereignsinstateofnaturewithoneanotherThereisnojusticeinthestateofnaturerightandwrongdon'texistinstateofnatureWherethereisnocommonPower,thereisnoLaw;wherenoLaw,noInjustice“Justice,indeedorder,iscompletelyconventionalUltimatemotiverelatestothepassions,inparticular:fearofdeathdesireofthingsnecessaryforcomfort(commodiousliving)notthegoodlifehopeofacquiringsuchthingsthroughlabor(toospecifichistorically?)MotivesstemmingfromdesiremustbesupplementedbyreasonReasonitselfnotenough–hasnopoweroverpassionsReasonsuggestsconvenientarticlesofPeaceReasoncanmakeindividualsawareofthelawsofnatureTheseare“laws”thoughnotcivillawTheselawsmakejusticepossibleTheselawslayouttherationalstruct