PSIR Optional

Thomas Hobbes

POLITY for Civil services
deepanalysis
Hobbes – 
  1. Father of all of us (Karl Marx).
  2. First modern thinker.
  3. First to elaborate on sovereignty of state therefore he is first modern thinker.
  4. Church is under state.
  5. Justification of absolute state.
  6. Capitalistic.
  7. State is an instrument of utility for men.
  8. First to tell man is utilitarian.
  9. “Law is command of sovereign.”
  10. “Covenants without swords are nothing but words.”
  11. Absolutist.
  12. “Liberty leads to anarchy.”
  13. “Liberty of freedom signifies properly, the absence of opposition in external impediments of motion.”
  14. Logically consistent.
  15. Normative+Methodological.
Theme of Hobbes pol. Theory – 
  1. Aim – Protection of life.
  2. On the basis of utilitarianism he establishes importance of state.
  3. Purpose of State – The security of life
  4. Main function of state – Protection of life, State – Night watch man.
Rene Descartes suggested method on how to apply scientific method in social sciences.
Steps by Rene Descartes – 
  1. Observe
  2. Find out elemental parts.
  3. Establish cause and effect relationship.
  4. Give explanation.
This method is called as Resolutive Compositive method. 
Elemental movement in brain is proposed by Hobbes – 
  1. Pleasure – Particles align towards.
  2. Pain – Particles decline towards.
Utilitarianism is based on following – 
  1. Individualistic – He is capable to understand only his own pleasure and pain.
  2. Possessiveness 
Hobbes is well known for his political work is Leviathan (Sea Monster).
Methodology of Hobbes – Social Contract.
 Contract – Constitution
Creation of State – 
  1. Description of Human Nature
  2. State of nature
  3. Contract – Government  (Commonwealth)
Natural law – Reason
Positive Law/Real Law – Made by state (Hobbes)
Man has only two options – 1. Either to live in absolute authority, 2. Or to live under absolute anarchy.
Theory of Rights – 
  • People do not enjoy rights in presence of state. (Liberty is where law is silent.)
  • Right to Life – Right to self preservation (Hobbes)
  1. Given by god.
  2. In contract man transfers all of his rights to state except right to life.
  3. Hobbes permits right to resist if state fails to protect life and deprives RTL in arbitrary manner.
Individualism –
  1. Political philosophy of modern west.
  2. Individualism is opposite of idealism.
Individualists are of two types – 
  1. Normative Individualists – Those who justify individualist nature of men. For them there is nothing immoral and unethical in being individualistic.
  2. Methodological Individualists – Those who used individualistic nature of men to build their pol theory.r
Criticism – 
  1. State of nature is peaceful, goodwill and mutual coexistence according to Locke.
  2. Man’s actions are also guided by reason. (Locke)

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