POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY 2
HOBBES [Leviathan, 1651]
- absolute rule > anarchy
- Social Contract: assignment of leviathan absolute ruler
- Hobbes was afraid of the parlamentalists post English Civil War
- rejected divine right, but was anti-democracy, so, both sides hated him
- inspired by scientific, secular approach
- via Galilei: destructive desires can only be stopped by the greater force of the leader
- world is nominalist, but arguing over definitions leads to strife
- the sovereign must determine all classifications
- absolute undivided power over the church too
Argument:
- State of Nature, anarchy, no political society (descriptive)
- in SoN we are all equal, equality leads to strife, disjunct desires
- property & law impossible in SoN
- this fear leads to violence, uncertainty, hostility
- a single ruler solves this by centralizing power and instituting absolute social unity
- no longer plural nature, but monic one-ness of state