Chapter 1 Flashcards
According to Hobbes, what are the three conditions leading to war in the state of nature? Elaborate and give examples
a) State of nature is a place of scarcities
b) People are in motion to seek felicity
c) People have equal capacity to kill each other
Keywords: Equality, felicity, desires, scarcity, uncertainty, power, competition, selfishness, protect, the one that possesses and the one who doesn’t
Civil war, Law, two ppl grew up alone in a desert meet
According to Hobbes, what are the two passions leading to war in the state of nature?
Pride
Fear
Key Words: vanity, irrational, glory, death, motiivation, pre-emptive, reputation, readiness, Alexander the Great, locks
What is collective rationality?
What is best for each individual on the assumption that everyone else will act the same way.
Key Words: Jean-Paul Sarte (trees),
What is individual rationality?
To attack others.
Key Words: “defect”, rational, Prisoner’s Dilemma + same example as collective
Following collective rationality, should people obey the laws of nature in Hobbesian state of nature?
Yes, if we are aware that others around us are obeying the laws of nature too, we have a duty to obey them too, since we shall not be exploited. We should all desire the Laws to take effect and take them into account
Following individual rationality, should people obey the laws of nature in Hobbesian state of nature?
No, we are not always under the obligation of following the laws. If we are in a position of insecurity and it will lead us to our ruin to follow them, we are permitted to “use all the advantages of war.” It would be self-defeating to obey the law if it will make us prey.
According to Locke, what is natural law? Why is natural law effective in the state of nature?
Morality would be effective because everyone has the natural right to punish.
The Law, says Locke, is that no one ought to harm another in their life, health, liberty, or possessions. It is simply to preserve mankind as much as possible. Locke believes that there must be an authority managing Law, however, there is no state in the state of nature; we are all equal. That said, there must be a natural right, held by each person, to punish those who offend the Law of nature. Each of us has the right to punish those who harm others’ life, liberty, or property. However, it is not equal to self-defence, it is not to prevent but simply punish the ones that overstepped.
Sovereign, murders
According to Locke, why would things go bad in the state of nature?
We disagree on how to manage justice.
People will disagree about whether an offence has taken place; about proper punishment and compensation. They may not have the power to undertake proper punishment so the administration would dispute.
According to Rousseau, what is pity (compassion)? How does pity (compassion) control savages’ behaviours?
Pity (compassion) is one basic motivation of human nature. Since savages choose compassion instead of reason, they will not opt for violence over others to satisfy their own needs. Compassion, or pity, is the natural repulsion humans feel at the sight of his kind suffering which even beasts show. That means it acts as a powerful restraint on the drives that might lead to attack and war.
Unlike Locke and Hobbes, Rousseau depicts the traits of humans in nature as “before civilized” (as savages) instead of “after civilization.” This means before humans develop things such as vanity, glory, etc. He sees savages as being that have innate good in them, in the sense that pity stops the savage from robbing the weak or sick instead of selfishness and arrogance. Our innate nature is therefore to avoid harming others because we ourselves have an aversion to harm.
Apple in tree + keep any Sturdy savage from robbing a weak child or an infirm old man of his hard-won subsistence if he can hope to find his own elsewhere.
According to Rousseau, what happened in the hunting-gathering stage of the state of nature?
In the hunting-gathering stage, we, as savages, lived in natural solitude, with simple desires, and with no need for glory. We lived alone on a vast territory and we were not smart enough to think far and big, making us have simple desires. We were strong and had no vanity since we had no need to compare ourselves. In sum, we were more like beasts than modern humans.
“wandering in the forests, without industry, without speech, without settled abode, without war and without tie, without any need of others of his kind, and without any desires to hurt them, perhaps, even without ever recognizing any one of them individually”
According to Rousseau, what happened in the agricultural stage of the state of nature?
Innovation (agriculture), co-operation (living in groups), leisure time (competition for the sake of vanity).
Self-defense as we can always improve ourselves + adapt
Tool-making will awaken pride and intelligence + create goods and go beyond survival need, or again luxuries.
First, vanity, “capacity of self protecting” emerges since we start co-operating (+living) with others and we also start to compare ourselves with others (stronger and prettier)
Conjugal and parental love appear
Leisure time
Self-esteem
Hunting parties, making huts, shelters, become apparent
According to Rousseau, what happened in the commercial stage of the state of nature?
Private property, class divisions, first civil state, inequality, materialism, fear, contempt → controlled by vanity → civil war → must have government, pride, shame, envy Mutual dependence, jealousy, inequality, and slavery
