24 Questions
Why did Hobbes write the Leviathan?
To advocate for absolute monarchy
What did Hobbes believe is the source of all ideas?
Sensory experience
How did Hobbes explain attention in terms of psychological phenomena?
By the organs retaining motion from external objects
According to Hobbes, what motivates human behavior?
Appetite and aversion
What did Hobbes believe about the existence of free will?
It is an illusion
Which term best describes Hobbes' view of knowledge acquisition?
Empiricist
What concept did Thomas Hobbes believe in that influenced his view that humans could be understood using techniques of geometry?
Humans as machines
Why did Thomas Hobbes think the best form of government was an absolute monarchy?
Because he believed democracy encourages aggressive and greedy behavior
What concept from Galileo did Thomas Hobbes apply to assert that humans are a part of nature?
Concept of matter and motion
Why did Thomas Hobbes disagree with Baconians' inductive method?
He preferred the deductive method
What motivated Thomas Hobbes to believe in creating a social order?
Fear of chaos and death
What was one peculiar activity that Thomas Hobbes engaged in until the age of 70?
Playing tennis
What concept did Thomas Hobbes apply to humans, believing they could be understood using techniques of geometry?
Deductive reasoning
Why did Thomas Hobbes avoid joining the British Royal Society?
Disapproval of the inductive method
What motivated Thomas Hobbes to advocate for an absolute monarchy as the best form of government?
Fear of the aggressive and greedy human tendencies
Why did Hobbes believe that external forces must act on humans, similar to planets?
Humans are governed by the laws of nature
What was a significant reason for Thomas Hobbes not finding the education at Oxford beneficial?
Personal admission of gaining little knowledge there
What led Thomas Hobbes to believe that humans are compelled to create social order?
Fear of death as a motivating factor
What was the primary reason why parliament wanted to burn Thomas Hobbes at the stake?
Perceived atheistic ideas in his work
How did Hobbes explain dreams in relation to sensory experience?
Dreams are influenced by external objects
What was Hobbes's view on human motivation according to his hedonistic theory?
People are motivated by pleasure seeking or pain avoidance
How did Hobbes explain attention in terms of psychological phenomena?
Attention is caused by external objects influencing organs
What term best describes Hobbes's view on human behavior and morality?
Hedonism
How did Hobbes explain the functioning of the mind based on his beliefs?
The mind is a series of motions within an individual
Study Notes
Life of Thomas Hobbes
- Lived a full life, friends with Galileo and Descartes
- Served as Francis Bacon's secretary for a while
- Went to Oxford, but claims he learned very little there
- Played tennis until the age of 70, wrote an autobiography at 86, and translated The Iliad and The Odyssey out of boredom
Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes
- Believed humans could be understood using techniques of geometry, starting with undeniable premises to draw valid conclusions
- Agreed with Galileo's concept that the universe consists of matter and motion, which applies to humans as part of nature
- Disagreed with Bacon's inductive method, preferring the deductive method, which is why he never joined the British Royal Society
Government and Human Instinct
- Primary interest was in politics, advocating for an absolute monarchy
- Humans are naturally aggressive and greedy, making democracy dangerous
- A monarchy forces people to be submissive, bringing law and order, motivated by fear of death and self-defense
- Humans are power-hungry, and civilization is a result of self-defense
Hobbes's Empiricism
- Agreed with Bacon on the importance of sensory experience
- Disagreed with Descartes on innate ideas, believing all ideas come from experience and sensory experience
- Was a materialist, believing only matter and motion exist
- Did not believe in a non-material mind, explaining all mental experiences through experiences
Explanation of Psychological Phenomena
- Attention is explained by organs retaining motion caused by external objects
- Imagination is remaining impressions from our senses
- Dreams are vivid impressions from experience that occur while we sleep
- External objects create sense impressions, influencing the body's functions
- Humans are driven by appetite and aversion, seeking enjoyment and avoiding pain
- Had a hedonistic theory of motivation, believing there are no true morals, only things good or bad for an individual
Complex Thought Process
- Trains of thought follow a coherent manner, reintroducing Aristotle's law of continuity: events experienced together are remembered together
Overall
- Hobbes was a materialist, mechanist, determinist, empiricist, and hedonist
Learn about the life and philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, a prominent figure in British empiricism. Discover his connections with notable thinkers like Galileo and Descartes, as well as his unique views on human nature and society.
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