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Hobbes’ Paradox Resolved According to Hobbes, people are born with passions that ultimately lead them into a never-ending war. They require artificial power to stop killing each other. Unless such a power is erected, Hobbes suggests, leaving the state of nature is impossible since people are not inclined to cooperate and trust each other. The core reason why it is impossible to leave the state of nature is because of the innate passions people have that drive them to be constantly in conflict. Hobbes states that in the condition of nature, “any reasonable suspicion” renders any covenant or promise invalid since “bonds of words are too weak to bridle men’s ambition, avarice, anger, and other passions…” (196). Here, Hobbes highlights the importance of punishments, suggesting that without the motivating fear of punishments, covenants are practically invalid. It is also important to understand what Hobbes means by the condition of nature. He argues that because men are born equal, they...

  Hobbes’ Word Play Hobbes argues in favor of a monarch or an oligarch. To be more precise, he is in favor of the idea that multiplicity comes with complexity, harming the integrity of the state. In his opinion, men are mostly power-driven, greedy beings who must surrender themselves to a sovereign power that can spread the terror of punishment. According to Hobbes, this fear of punishment is the only effective motivating force that can keep people from brutally murdering each other. While this Hobbesian idea of the state portrays the sovereign’s subjects almost as though they are slaves, this essay will argue that Hobbes is not fundamentally against liberty and allows it within the constraints of laws. Hobbes's description of liberty suggests that only external impediments are against freedom. He states that liberty is “the absence of external impediments” (189) and, although these impediments may take away man’s power to do what he would, they do not prevent men from using th...

 The Power of Fear      The Hobbesian state of nature is a hostile place where everyone is against one another. This perpetual state of conflict, according to Hobbes, arises from humanity's innate passions such as greed and competitiveness. Therefore, Hobbes argues that an artificial power enforcing laws and punishments is needed to escape this never-ending war. However, it appears that the passions causing conflict in the state of nature do not fundamentally differ in a Hobbesian state, raising questions about the effectiveness of Hobbes' ideas in preventing conflict and establishing social order. This essay will analyze the difference between the two states of living and argue that fear, as a motivation to obey the rules, is the core difference between the two.      Hobbes describes human nature as fundamentally self-centered, with individuals in constant pursuit of fighting over materialistic possessions and glory. In Chapter XVII of Leviathan, Ho...

Hobbes' Notion of Freedom Hobbes is in favor of the idea that people are to controlled. Through fear and punishments, their behaviors need to be governed. Although this idea appears to be against liberty, Hobbes suggests that people are free to act within the constraints of laws. This essay will discuss how Hobbes views liberty and whether he considers subjects of the sovereign as free or not.  According to Hobbes, liberty is not an absolute right but a privilege that is granted by the sovereign. He believed that the only way to secure freedom and safety was to submit to the authority of the sovereign. The sovereign, in turn, had the power to enforce laws and punish those who broke them, ensuring that the social contract was maintained. Hobbes' definition of liberty was, therefore, limited by the power of the sovereign, as he viewed it as the only means of achieving a peaceful society. However, when the traditional sense of liberty is taken, it is impossible to claim that Hobbe...

Stuart Mill önceden de söylediğim gibi samimiyetimle fikirlerini içselleştirebildiğim neredeyse tek filozof. Aquinas'ın felsefesinde gözlemlediğim benzer bir fikri öne atıyor Hürriyet kitabında. Aquinas insanları erdemli olmaya zorlarsak onları erdemli olma fırsatından yoksun bırakırız diyor. Mill'de buna benzer bir fikir öne atarak eğer muhalif fikirleri sansürlersek, insanları conformity'ye uymaya teşvik eder hatta zorlarız, muhakemelerini kullanmaya fırsat vermeyiz.                                                                  Dissident Ideas Matter In John Stuart Mill's statement, "Judgment is given to men that they may use it. Because it may be used erroneously, are men to be told that they ought not to use it at all?" Mill explores the delicate balance between humans' inherent tendency ...

  Hobbes hakkında kaçıncı yazım bilmiyorum. Ne kadar onu incelersem inceleyim derinine hiç inemediğimi hissediyorum. Onun determinist ve pesimist bakış açısından ötesini göremiyorum. Yine de beni en derinden etkileyen fikirlerinden birini göreceksin bu yazımda. İnsanları orul orul orospu çocuğu olmakla suçladıktan hemen sonra pesimist bakış açısını meşrulaştırmak için siz de benimle bu fikri paylaşıyorsunuz diyor. Gece yatarken kapıyı kitliyor, tehlikeli yerlere giderken silahınızı yanınıza alıyor ve kalabalık sokaklarda çantanızı sıkı sıkı tutuyorsanız en az benim kadar insanların vahşi ve bencil doğasının farkındasınız diyor. Buna karşılık içimden demek istedim ki eğitim arttıkça, farkındalık yeşillenip dünya daha da bir anlam kazanınca insan bu kötücül doğasından kurtuluyor, kurtulmuyor mu? Tabii bu Hobbes'un zamanında oldukça idealist bir fikir olurdu zira çok insan eğitim alabiliyordu. Bu yüzden insanların erdemli olmalarını eğitimden beklemek pek gerçekçi gelmemiş olabilir Ho...