Chapter 1

Question 1

Why do we even consider the state of nature?

Answer 1

to imagine a hypothetical world with no government

Question 2

What is the state of nature?

Answer 2

What the world would look like if we had no governmental structure

Question 3

What did hobbes say the state of nature would be like?

Answer 3

A state of constant violence

Question 4

Hobbes describe human nature with the word Felicty, what does it mean?

Answer 4

continual success in achieving the object of desire

Question 5

Human’s search for Felicity causes what in the state of nature?

Answer 5

constant state of war

Question 6

What was Hobbes definition of power?

Answer 6

One’s present means to obtain a future good

Question 7

In a human’s quest to guarantee felicity, they must seek power - what does this cause?

Answer 7

the state of nature to be a state of war

Question 8

what did hobbes believe about power?

Answer 8

once humans have power they will always want more

Question 9

What does Hobbes assume about the state of nature?

Answer 9

He assumes scarcity of goods in the state of nature - people desire the same things and compete for them

Question 10

What did Hobbes believe about natural equality?

Answer 10

that we are all physically equal in that we all relatively have the same amount of strength and skill

Question 11

What were Hobbe’s three reasons for attacking / aggression in the state of nature?

Answer 11

1. For gaining scarce goods
2. For safety (to pre-emptively invade invaders)
3. For glory or reputation so people know you are the strongest

Question 12

What is Hobbes counterargument to people who say he exaggerates that the state of nature will be a state of war ?

Answer 12

the state of nature won’t be war but it will be a state of constant readiness to fight

Question 13

What does Hobbes argue about Morality in the state of nature?

Answer 13

There is no morality in a a state of nature “nothing can be unjust”

Question 14

Why does morality not exist in a state of nature for Hobbes?

Answer 14

for injustice to occur a law has to be broken so because there is no common power there is no law and no injustice has occurred - anything is allowed

Question 15

under the state of nature what did hobbes say people had the right to?

Answer 15

everyone has the right to everything

Question 16

what is the most reasonable act of self defense in a state of nature for hobbes?

Answer 16

to invade others to gain a reputation of strength

Question 17

What is Hobbes fundamental law of nature ?

Answer 17

To seek peace if others are doing so

Question 18

What did hobbes say (in the state of nature) to do ?

Answer 18

ONLY be peaceful / follow the laws if others are also doing so. Otherwise you have to break the law to not be at a disadvantage

Question 19

What was Locke’s fundamental law of nature and what did it imply?

Answer 19

that mankind must be preserved as much as possible because we are creatures of god and therefore should not harm each other and should help each other in the state of nature.

Question 20

What was Locke’s idea of the executive power of the law of nature?

Answer 20

right to collective punishment prevents crime in the state of nature

Question 21

Locke believed in the right to..

Answer 21

Collective Punishment

Question 22

Locke’s belief in the right to punishment in the state of nature is WHY..

Answer 22

This is why it would not be a constant state of war

Question 23

The most important right to Locke is

Answer 23

private property

Question 24

What is the central difference between locke and hobbes

Answer 24

locke thought that the state of nature would be peaceful because of a collective right to punishment that would discourage violence - hobbes thought that the state of nature would be war and the only way to discourage violence would be with a greater power

Question 25

how did locke and hobbes disagree with each other over the scarcity of goods ?

Answer 25

hobbes thought that people often desire the same things which turns them into enemies locke thought that the world was vast and that scarcity is not an issue

Question 26

locke thought that scarcity

Answer 26

was not an issue because the world is abundant

Question 27

what does locke’s position of abundance imply?

Answer 27

the state of nature will not be violent

Question 28

What did locke believe will cause the development of scarcity?

Answer 28

MONEY will cause scarcity because people will cultivate more land than they can consume in exchange for surplus of money and eventually drain the world’s abundance

Question 28

what did locke think about the collective right to punishment ?

Answer 28

1. That it would prevent war in the state of nature 2. That it would rarely have to be used because of the abundance / non scarcity in the world

Question 29

what was Locke’s main problem with the state of nature?

Answer 29

violence won’t be an issue bc of abundance, but interpretation of the laws of nature would be a problem - people will argue whether an offense has taken place or not

Question 30

What did Rousseau believe about human suffering?

Answer 30

Humans don’t like to see eachother suffer - we have a sense of pity

Question 31

Rousseau believed that compassion acted as

Answer 31

deterrent to violence in the state of nature

Question 32

Rousseau believed that god makes things good and that humans..

Answer 32

corrupt everything they touch

Question 33

what did Rousseau believe about the development of the sciences?

Answer 33

it’s done more to corrupt society than to benefit

Question 34

Rousseau believed that in a state of nature people will respect each others rights on a basis of

Answer 34

pity and compassion

Question 35

what is a counter argument for rousseau’s idea of pity?

Answer 35

the influence of pity fades when resources are scarce and there will be violence

Question 36

Rousseau argued that in a state of nature, humans are moral because

Answer 36

humans have an aversion to harming each other AND NOT because we actually view things as immoral in the state of nature

Question 37

What is the idea of a savage in political philosophy?

Answer 37

a type of human who is literally primitive and only desires sexual satisfaction, food, sleep, and fears only hunger and pain

Question 38

What were the two unique features that rousseau thought separates humans from animals

Answer 38

1. Free will, and 2. The capacity for self improvement.

Question 39

What did Rousseau believe caused scarcity?

Answer 39

innovation

Question 40

What is a corrupted need?

Answer 40

a luxury good that the previous generation was fine with out but now the loss of this good would be considered devastating to the latest generation ?