Hobbes makes some interesting assertions. Regarding the state of nature, Hobbes does not acknowledge (to my memory) the underlying reason that people are in fear of violence and death. I would say that there is an underlying fallen human condition that causes this. And the idea of a social contract seems tidy but one cannot simply "opt out" of the social contract. My understanding of a contract is that both parties are signatory thus mutually binding. An interesting thought experiment nonetheless.
Yes Zachary, I find them interesting too. I think it helps to also consider the times in which Hobbes lived, a bloody and terrible period in English history. Hobbes certainly turned Aristotle's views of politics on its head, so to speak, and he is meticulous and almost mathematical approach to constructing his arguments is impressive. There is much I could say regarding the social contract, although perhaps we can discuss it in person one day. We willfully or tacitly surrender many of our 'rights' in exchange for being governed in this relatively safe and peaceful country. and thankfully we can do our 'opting out' at the ballot box. In terms of our domestic politics, I rather like the fact we don't have a Bill of Rights in our Constitution. The original framers of our Constitution looked carefully at the US Constitution and were fans of the instrument but decided in the end to let conflicts about rights be determined by elected politicians rather than the courts. They determined that rights cannot be absolute because they will often be in conflict. For example, a right of freedom of speech, can conflict with a right to a fair trial. A right of freedom of religion can conflict with a right to life and so on. Thank you very much for reading Zachary, and I look forward to catching up in person really soon.
I read this the other night, but was clearly too tired... Haha...so... just read it again... Interesting huh... History definitely repeats itself & I think what Hobbes suggests is pretty much what's happening in today's world... Some things never change....
Hobbes makes some interesting assertions. Regarding the state of nature, Hobbes does not acknowledge (to my memory) the underlying reason that people are in fear of violence and death. I would say that there is an underlying fallen human condition that causes this. And the idea of a social contract seems tidy but one cannot simply "opt out" of the social contract. My understanding of a contract is that both parties are signatory thus mutually binding. An interesting thought experiment nonetheless.
Also, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond. I haven't had much time for my musings lately. But I've got some more coming, stay tuned. :-)
Yes Zachary, I find them interesting too. I think it helps to also consider the times in which Hobbes lived, a bloody and terrible period in English history. Hobbes certainly turned Aristotle's views of politics on its head, so to speak, and he is meticulous and almost mathematical approach to constructing his arguments is impressive. There is much I could say regarding the social contract, although perhaps we can discuss it in person one day. We willfully or tacitly surrender many of our 'rights' in exchange for being governed in this relatively safe and peaceful country. and thankfully we can do our 'opting out' at the ballot box. In terms of our domestic politics, I rather like the fact we don't have a Bill of Rights in our Constitution. The original framers of our Constitution looked carefully at the US Constitution and were fans of the instrument but decided in the end to let conflicts about rights be determined by elected politicians rather than the courts. They determined that rights cannot be absolute because they will often be in conflict. For example, a right of freedom of speech, can conflict with a right to a fair trial. A right of freedom of religion can conflict with a right to life and so on. Thank you very much for reading Zachary, and I look forward to catching up in person really soon.
I read this the other night, but was clearly too tired... Haha...so... just read it again... Interesting huh... History definitely repeats itself & I think what Hobbes suggests is pretty much what's happening in today's world... Some things never change....