Born in Westport near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England

April 5, 1588-December 4, 1679

The Elements of Law and Natural Politic

Leviathan (1651)

Background

EARLY LIFE

and

EDUCATION

Spanish armada

Fathers name: Thomas Sr.

Robert Latimer

John Wilkinson

• Studied at Oxford University in England

• Main interests are Political Philosophy.

History, Ethics and Geometry

• Influenced by Aristotle, Thucydides,

Tacitus, Rene Descartes, and Hugo Grotius

• Modern founder of the social

contract tradition; life in the state of

nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and

short”.

Physical doctrine of emotion

Physical momentum

The Elements of Law, Natural & Politic

De Cive or in English “The Philosophical Rudiments Concerning Government and Society in 1651”

IN PARIS

Mathematical instructorYoung CharlesPrince of Wales

Political crisis resulting to war

The state: “great artificial man or monster” (LEVIATHAN)

CIVIL WAR IN ENGLAND

The Leviatha

n

A condition wherein there is the absence of government

Hobbes terms this situation “the condition of mere nature”, a state of perfectly private judgment, in which there is no agency with recognized authority to arbitrate disputes and effective power to enforce its decisions.

Hobbes assumes that people generally “shun death”, and that the desire to preserve their own lives is very strong in most people.

Hobbes ascribes to each person in the state of nature a liberty right to preserve herself, which he terms “the right of nature”.

The Concept of State of Nature

The state of nature is the state of war.It is “the war of all against all”.The right of each to all things invites serious

conflict, especially if there is competition for resources, as there will surely be over at least scarce goods.

Conflict will be further fuelled by disagreement in religious views, in moral judgments, and over matters as mundane as what goods one actually needs, and what respect one properly merits.

The Concept of State of War

A form of government represented by a sea monster wherein the head symbolizes the sole ruler of the state and the body composes of the people or the citizens of the state.

Hobbes believed that an absolute monarchy - a government that gave all power to a king or queen - was best. Its powers must be neither divided nor limited.

Needed to suppress or prevent the state of nature that can eventually lead to a state of war.

The Leviathan

State of Nature

The government

- represented by Leviathan

‘sea monster’

State of WarCan

eventually lead to a

Needed to suppress or

prevent

The Summary of the Leviathan