Philosophy: State of Nature Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What does Hobbes identify as a common aversion that all humans share?

Fear of darkness

Fear of poverty

Fear of the unknown

Fear of death (correct)

What are the two types of motion that Hobbes describes?

Voluntary and involuntary

Vital and voluntary (correct)

Vital and emotional

Instinctive and learned

According to Hobbes, what leads individuals to form a government?

Pursuit of knowledge

Desire for wealth

Need for companionship

Fear of death and the ability to reason (correct)

How does Hobbes describe the natural condition of mankind?

Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes mean by saying appetites are incessant?

They do not end until death Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes Hobbes' view of opinions?

They are purely subjective Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes propose as the main driving factor behind human behavior?

Desires and fears Signup and view all the answers

What justifies an individual's right to punish in the state of nature?

For reparation or restraint Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes argue about the equality of men?

All men have equal ability to get what they want Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic should punishments possess in the state of nature?

They should be proportional to the crime Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of the self-judgment system in the state of nature?

Potential for bias and disorder Signup and view all the answers

Why might the state of nature be preferable to an absolute monarchy?

It allows for greater personal freedoms Signup and view all the answers

What governs the necessity of punishment within the state of nature?

The public good Signup and view all the answers

When do men cease to exist in the state of nature?

Upon consenting to form a political society Signup and view all the answers

What does Locke argue about the role of government in relation to self-judgment?

It mitigates the biases of self-judgment Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of individuals not being impartial in their own cases?

They may act out of emotion leading to harsher punishments Signup and view all the answers

What is required for justice and property to exist?

A commonwealth or civil power Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes argue is the consequence of breaking covenants?

Destruction of societal trust Signup and view all the answers

How is justice defined according to Hobbes?

Keeping covenants Signup and view all the answers

Why is gratitude considered essential for society?

It encourages benevolence and mutual help Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of pardon within Hobbes's framework?

To maintain social harmony Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes indicate is necessary for peace regarding equality?

Recognition of natural equality Signup and view all the answers

According to Hobbes, what should be the nature of revenge?

Focused solely on correction Signup and view all the answers

What principle is highlighted regarding impartiality in judgment?

No man is fit to judge their own cause Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes suggest is the state of humans in the absence of government?

Brutish existence marked by war and violence Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does Hobbes argue contributes to the degradation of peace during civil unrest?

Lack of common power to enforce order Signup and view all the answers

How does Hobbes characterize the rulers in sovereign states?

As armed and vigilant against potential threats Signup and view all the answers

In Hobbes' view, what becomes the cardinal virtues in a state of war?

Force and fraud Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes identify as a driving force towards achieving peace?

Fear of death and desire for comfort Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best captures Hobbes' notion of property in a state of war?

Property exists only as long as it can be taken and held. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement highlights the significance of law according to Hobbes?

Without a common power, there can be no law. Signup and view all the answers

What role do passions play in Hobbes' theory of human behavior?

They drive individuals to conflict until regulated by law. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal stated in the fundamental law of nature?

To seek peace and follow it Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a person breaks a contract, according to Hobbes?

It is considered an act of injustice Signup and view all the answers

What does Hobbes identify as essential for justice to exist?

Common power enforcing laws Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of laying down one's rights in the context of the social contract?

It allows for the greater good of society Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes Hobbes' view on the state of war?

Survival justifies the use of force and fraud Signup and view all the answers

Which of these indicates a contract, according to Hobbes?

Actions, words, or silence that imply agreement Signup and view all the answers

In Hobbes’ view, what entails the loss of personal freedom?

Accepting social contracts Signup and view all the answers

How does Hobbes define justice in relation to the mutual transferring of rights?

As the foundation of civil society through contracts Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

State of Nature

In the state of nature, everyone has the right to enforce the law of nature and punish those who violate it.
This right is essential to prevent violations and maintain order since no formal government exists in this state.
The right to punish is only for reparation or restraint.
Punishment in the state of nature is not arbitrary but should be proportional to the crime, aiming for justice, reparation, and deterrence.
If it is in the public good to not punish, do not punish.
Even in punishing offenders, individuals have no arbitrary power; they must act within the bounds of reason and equity.

Challenges of the State of Nature

Critics argue that self-judgment leads to bias and disorder.
Locke acknowledges this but counters that even monarchs face the same issue when they judge their own actions.
He contends that government arises to mitigate the inconveniences of self-judgment, but the state of nature can be preferable to absolute monarchy because monarchy makes men required to submit to the unjust will of another.

Existence of the State of Nature

Locke argues that the state of nature exists among all independent governments and individuals who have not consented to join a political society.
All men are naturally in that state, and remain so, till by their own consents they make themselves members of some politic society.

Formation of Political Society

People remain in the state of nature until they consent to form a political society.
This societal agreement ends the state of nature for those individuals.
Men can not be the judge in their own cases.
Men are NOT IMPARTIAL and will choose themselves (also making them punish too harshly bc of emotions).
Government restrains this violence and partiality of man.

Hobbes' View of Human Behavior

Hobbes focuses on human behavior.
Humans are driven by motion.
Two types of motion: vital and voluntary.
Voluntary (requires choice): driven by our intentions (which are subjective), our appetites, and aversions.
All humans fear death.
Four characteristics of appetites and aversions:
- Some are innate, like food and water, the rest are born of experience.
- Appetites continually change and are different in different people.
- These appetites are incessant, they do not end until death.
- Appetites are of different strengths in different men.

Hobbes' Views on Opinions and the Science of Peace

Opinions are purely subjective – there is no way to judge if someone’s opinion is more right than another.
The science of peace for Hobbes is deciding how humans behave w/o gov and what leads people to behave the way they do based on appetites and aversions.

The Natural Condition of Mankind

All men have equal ability to get what they want.
They seek power after power and they are equal.
This leads to a state of war when they want the same thing.

Man's Natural State: A State of War

"Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short"
Two factors that lead to the formation of government:
- Fear of death.
- The universal ability to reason.
"Where every man is enemy to every man…that life will be quite bad..First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory.”
During a time without a common power, people - in a state of nature - are in WAR and all men are against each other.
All other time is PEACE.
During a state of war, there is no security and no place for industry, no arts, no commodities, no society, no account of time.
When taking a journey, man arms himself but no one blames other people for using passions to attack bc it is human nature.
Men take harsh actions driven by passion until the law forbids such actions. You can only create laws if you agree on a leader / lawmaker.

Hobbes Views on Contracts

A contract can be indicated through various actions, including words, silence, actions, or refraining from action.
Justice requires a commonwealth.
Justice and property do not exist without a commonwealth or civil power.
Valid covenants require the establishment of civil power.
"The fool" believes covenants are only valid when they benefit oneself.
Hobbes argues that breaking covenants leads to destruction because society cannot function without trust.
Justice, defined as keeping covenants, aligns with the law of nature, which is to avoid actions that lead to destruction.
Gratitude is essential for society to function, as it encourages benevolence and mutual help.
Pardon is another law of nature, essential for peace.
Revenge should only be for correction and not for glory.
Natural equality must be acknowledged for peace.
Equity in distribution and judgment is crucial to avoid war.

Impartiality in Judgement

"No man is a fit arbitrator in his own cause" because self-interest biases judgment. Even if a person were fit to judge their own case, the principle of equity demands both parties should judge, leading to ongoing conflict.

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Description

Test your understanding of the concept of the state of nature in political philosophy. Explore the principles of enforcement of natural laws and the implications of self-judgment in the absence of formal governance. This quiz examines critiques and arguments put forth by philosophers like Locke.