Hobbes - Leviathan Flashcards
(21 cards)
(Quote) Hobbes on why there is war due to human nature
‘From equality proceeds diffidence’ … ‘From diffidence war’
(Quote) Why there is war without a sovereign
‘Out of civil states there is always war of everyone against everyone’
What is the law of nature?
Rule through reason
o Self-preservation
o No destructive acts to human life
o Inherently known by all – deduced by reason, which all men have
Essentially seeking peace
What is a contract?
mutual transferring of rights
moral obligation through covenant o People give up rights when others do so too to self-preserve
Right of self-preservation is not given up as it is the base the contract is founded on
(Quote and explanation) why are people afraid of breaking covenants?
‘Power of Spirits Invisible’
State of nature = war = covenant may not be honoured = need for common power over those in the covenant to compel them not to void it
As per third law of nature (creating covenant), what happens if the covenant is violated?
Rebellions violate laws of nature - attacking sovereign power
People of a commonwealth should endow self-preservation to Sovereign
Killing sovereign = suicide
What is an author?
A person has words/actions of their own will or through a representative
People (Greek = actors) personate
Commonwealth give their power to an author for collective best interest in representation
What is a commonwealth?
Covenant honoured with central power = commonwealth created
Large number of people joining to bring security
Defence against common enemy
Unlimited security - not provisional
Why does Hobbes argue humans are not like ‘bees and ants’?
Aristotle argues humans can live sociably with one another like bees and ants
Hobbes argues they cannot as they are in constant competition with each other for honour or dignity = naturally spurs envy and hatred
Bees and ants agree naturally, covenant entered by humans is artificial and requires a sovereign for adherence
(Quote and explanation) What is the Leviathan?
Ideal commonwealth = ‘generation of that great Leviathan’
In the state of nature this entity is God and in the civil state a god-like figure: the Leviathan
Leviathan (author) writes laws of what is good/bad, and everyone owes their peace and defence in the commonwealth to God as it operates through God-given laws of nature
What is a commonwealth by acquisition?
Obtained by force
May conquer other commonwealths
What is a commonwealth by institution?
People institute commonwealth by covenant
Why was the English Civil Law (1642-1651) an injustice?
Covenant = people cannot enter new contracts to give sovereign power to another person
Parliamentarians should not have executed the king for tyranny as the sovereign decides what is good/bad
What are the types of government?
Monarchy
Democracy
Aristocracy (one power/oligarchy)
Why is the monarch the best sovereign?
Monarchy’s private interests are largely those of the public and receives counsel from many different people
Monarch’s actions are subject to their own human nature while democracy/aristocracy endure fickleness from many people)
- cannot be jealous of self whereas democratic/aristocratic disagreements = war
Less likely to against people’s interests
(Example) Why should the leviathan (monarch) be hereditary?
If monarchs do not pick successors/die, commonwealth turns to war
‘Artificial eternity’ (succession) = there is no need for an entirely new covenant with each Sovereign
i.e. King James inherited the throne in 1603 and united England and Scotland in the best interests of both commonwealths
What does Hobbes say about Dominion?
Can be generationally or by conquest
Generation = paternal dominion = if your parents are in a commonwealth, so are you
Conquest = victory in war = ‘despotical’ – submit to sovereign but have same rights and liberties as all subjects if willingly agree to covenant = captured not necessarily conquered
Why does Hobbes see his philosophy as infallible?
Maintaining commonwealth involves rules, like arithmetic or geometry
References these sciences = not an ethical standpoint
Formulaic - social contract
How do fear and liberty exist together?
Fear compels to do willing things in a commonwealth as subjects fear laws even though they are at liberty to break them
Does more democracy = more liberty?
No
Liberty is the same in all types of commonwealths
Democracy does not = more liberty just because people rule
West hates monarchy due to Aristotelian/Cicero’s ideas that liberty is only from democracy
What is the symbiotic relationship between subjects and authors?
Subjects are authors of everything the sovereign does as sovereigns gain power from the people
If sovereign uses power against subjects, it is tantamount to subjects using power unto themselves
