leviathan

ThomasHobbes

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ThomasHobbes

FullnameThomasHobbes

Born

5April1588

Malmesbury,Wiltshire,England

Died

4December1679(aged91)

Derbyshire,England

Era

17th-centuryphilosophy

(ModernPhilosophy)

RegionWesternPhilosophers

School

Socialcontract,classicalrealism,

materialism

MainPoliticalphilosophy,history,ethics,

interestsgeometry

Notable

ideas

modernfounderofthesocialcontract

tradition;lifeinthestateofnature

is"solitary,poor,nasty,brutishand

short"

Influencedby[show]

Influenced[show]

ThomasHobbes(5April1588–4December1679),insomeoldertextsThomas

HobbsofMalmsbury,[1]wasanEnglishphilosopher,rememberedtodayfor

1651bookLeviathanestablishedthe

foundationformostofWesternpoliticalphilosophyfromtheperspective

ofsocialcontracttheory.[2]

Hobbesalsocontributedtoadiverarrayoffields,includinghistory,

geometry,physicsofgas,theology,ethics,generalphilosophy,and

ountofhumannatureaslf-interested

cooperationhasprovedtobeanenduringtheoryinthefieldof

neofthemainphilosopherswho

foundedmaterialism.

Contents

[hide]

1Earlylifeandeducation

2InParis

3TheCivilWarinEngland

4Leviathan

5Opponents

o5.1JohnBramhall

o5.2JohnWallis

6Laterlife

7Selectedbibliography

8Inpopularculture

9References

o9.1General

o9.2Specific

10Furtherreading

11Externallinks

Earlylifeandeducation

ThomasHobbeswasborninWiltshire,Englandon5April1588,somesources

sayatMalmesbury[3].BornprematurelyonApril5,1588,whenhismother

heardofthecominginvasionoftheSpanishArmada,ThomasHobbeslater

reportedthat"mymothergavebirthtotwins:mylfandfear."[4]His

childhoodisalmostacompleteblank,andhismother'snameisunknown.[5]

Hisfather,alsonamedThomas,wasthevicarofCharltonandWestport.

nedhisthreechildrentothecareofanolderbrother,

Thomasjunior'suncleFrancis,whenhewasforcedtofleetoLondonafter

waducatedatWestportchurchfromtheageoffour,pasdtothe

Malmesburyschoolandthentoaprivateschoolkeptbyayoungmannamed

RobertLatimer,wasagood

pupil,andaround1603hewentuptoMagdalenHall,whichismostcloly

relatedtoHertfordCollege,Oxford.[6][7][8][9]TheprincipalJohnWilkinson

wasaPuritan,andhehadsomeinfluenceonHobbes.

Atuniversity,Hobbesappearstohavefollowedhisowncurriculum;hewas

"littleattractedbythescholasticlearning".Hedidnotcompletehis

until1608,buthewasrecommendedbySirJamesHusy,his

masteratMagdalen,astutortoWilliam,thesonofWilliamCavendish,

BaronofHardwick(andlaterEarlofDevonshire),andbeganalife-long

connectionwiththatfamily.[10]

HobbesbecameacompaniontotheyoungerWilliamandtheybothtookpart

waxpodtoEuropeanscientificand

criticalmethodsduringthetourincontrasttothescholasticphilosophy

olarlyeffortsatthetimewere

aimedatacarefulstudyofclassicGreekandLatinauthors,theoutcome

ofwhichwas,in1628,hisgreattranslationofThucydides'Historyof

thePeloponnesianWar,thefirsttranslationofthatworkintoEnglish

fromaGreekmanuscript.

AlthoughheassociatedwithliteraryfigureslikeBenJonsonandthinkers

suchasFrancisBacon,hedidnotextendhiffortsintophilosophyuntil

loyerCavendish,thentheEarlofDevonshire,diedof

owedcountessdismisdHobbesbuthesoon

foundwork,againasatutor,thistimetothesonofSirGervaClifton.

Thistask,chieflyspentinParis,endedin1631whenheagainfoundwork

withtheCavendishfamily,

thenextvenyearsaswellastutoringheexpandedhisownknowledge

ofphilosophy,awakeninginhimcuriosityoverkeyphilosophicdebates.

HevisitedFlorencein1636andlaterwasaregulardebaterinphilosophic

groupsinParis,1637heconsidered

himlfaphilosopherandscholar.

InParis

ThomasHobbes

Hobbes'sfirstareaofstudywasaninterestinthephysicaldoctrineof

ehisinterestinthisphenomenon,

ontoconceivethe

systemofthoughttotheelaborationofwhichhewoulddevotehislife.

Hisschemewasfirsttoworkout,inaparatetreati,asystematic

doctrineofbody,showinghowphysicalphenomenawereuniversally

explicableintermsofmotion,atleastasmotionormechanicalaction

singledoutManfromtherealmofNatureand

,inanothertreati,heshowedwhatspecificbodilymotions

wereinvolvedintheproductionofthepeculiarphenomenaofnsation,

knowledge,affectionsandpassionswherebyMancameintorelationwith

yheconsidered,inhiscrowningtreati,howMenweremoved

toenterintosociety,andarguedhowthismustberegulatedifMenwere

nottofallbackinto"brutishnessandmiry".Thushepropodtounite

theparatephenomenaofBody,Man,andtheState.

Hobbescamehome,in1637,toacountryrivenwithdiscontentwhich

r,

bytheendoftheShortParliamentin1640,hehadwrittenashorttreati

calledTheElementsofLaw,otpublishedand

ed

version,however,ghitems

thatmuchofTheElementsofLawwascompodbeforethesittingofthe

ShortParliament,therearepolemicalpiecesoftheworkthatclearlymark

heless,many(though

notall)elementsofHobbes'spoliticalthoughtwereunchangedbetween

TheElementsofLawandLeviathan,whichdemonstratesthattheeventsof

theEnglishCivilWarhadlittleeffectonhiscontractarianmethodology.

Itshouldbenoted,however,thattheargumentsinLeviathanweremodified

fromTheElementsofLawwhenitcametothenecessityofconntin

,HobbeswroteinTheElementsof

LawthatPatrimonialkingdomswerenotnecessarilyformedbytheconnt

ofthegoverned,s

perhapsareflectioneitherofHobbes'sthoughtsconcerningthe

engagementcontroversyorofhisreactiontotreatispublishedby

Patriarchalists,suchasSirRobertFilmer,between1640and1651.

WheninNovember1640theLongParliamentsucceededtheShort,Hobbesfelt

hewasamarkedmanbythecirculationofhistreatiandfledtoParis.

sherejoinedthecoterieabout

Mernne,andwroteacritiqueoftheMeditationsonFirstPhilosophyof

Descartes,whichwasprintedasthirdamongthetsof"Objections"

appended,with"Replies"renttof

remarksonotherworksbyDescartessucceededonlyinendingall

correspondencebetweenthetwo.

Hobbesalsoextendedhisownworkssomewhat,workingonthethirdction,

DeCive,ghitwasinitially

onlycirculatedprivately,itwaswellreceived,andincludedlinesof

returnedtohardworkonthefirsttwoctionsofhisworkandpublished

littleexceptforashorttreationoptics(Tractatusopticus)included

inthecollectionofscientifictractspublishedbyMernneasCogitata

tagoodreputationinphilosophic

circlesandin1645waschonwithDescartes,GillesdeRobervaland

others,torefereethecontroversybetweenJohnPellandLongomontanus

overtheproblemofsquaringthecircle.

TheCivilWarinEngland

TheEnglishCivilWarbrokeoutin1642,andwhentheRoyalistcaubegan

todeclineinthemiddleof1644therewasanexodusoftheking's

revitalidHobbes'spoliticalinterestsandtheDeCivewasrepublished

ntingbeganin1646bySamuelde

SorbierethroughtheElvierpressatAmsterdamwithanewprefaceand

somenewnotesinreplytoobjections.

In1647,Hobbeswangagedasmathematicalinstructortotheyoung

Charles,PrinceofWales,[11]whohadcomeoverfromJeryaroundJuly.

Thingagementlasteduntil1648whenCharleswenttoHolland.

ThecompanyoftheexiledroyalistsledHobbestoproduceanEnglishbook

totforthhistheoryofcivilgovernmentinrelationtothepolitical

te,itnowemedtoHobbes,might

beregardedasagreatartificialmanormonster(Leviathan),compod

ofmen,withalifethatmightbetracedfromitsgenerationunderpressure

ofhumanneedstoitsdissolutionthroughcivilstrifeproceedingfrom

kwasclodwithageneral"ReviewandConclusion",

indirectrespontothewarwhichraidthequestionofthesubject's

righttochangeallegiancewhenaformersovereign'spowertoprotectwas

criticizedreligiousdoctrineson

rationalisticgroundsintheCommonwealth.

FrontispiecefromDeCive(1642)

DuringtheyearsofthecompositionofLeviathanheremainedinornear

1647Hobbeswasovertakenbyariousillnesswhichdisabled

veringfromthisnearfataldisorder,heresumed

hisliterarytask,andcarrieditsteadilyforwardtocompletionbythe

ile,atranslationofDeCivewasbeingproduced;there

hasbeenmuchscholarlydisagreementoverwhetherHobbestranslatedthe

workhimlfornot.

In1650,apiratededitionofTheElementsofLaw,NaturalandPolitic

ividedintotwoparatesmallvolumes(Human

Nature,ortheFundamentalElementsofPolicieandDecorporepolitico,

ortheElementsofLaw,MoralandPolitick).In1651thetranslationof

DeCivewaspublishedunderthetitleofPhilosophicallRudiments

ile,theprintingofthegreater

workwasproceeding,andfinallyitappearedaboutthemiddleof1651,

underthetitleofLeviathan,ortheMatter,Forme,andPowerofaCommon

Wealth,EcclesiasticallandCivil,withafamoustitle-pageengravingin

which,frombehindhillsoverlookingalandscape,theretoweredthebody

(abovethewaist)ofacrownedgiant,madeupoftinyfiguresofhuman

beingsandbearingswordandcrozierinthetwohands.

bbeswasmorelaudedanddecried

r,thefirsteffectofits

publicationwastoverhislinkwiththeexiledroyalists,forcinghim

exilesmightverywellhavekilledhim;thecularistspiritofhisbook

fledbackhome,

inghissubmissiontothe

councilofstatehewasallowedtosubsideintoprivatelifeinFetter

Lane.

Leviathan

Mainarticle:Leviathan(book)

FrontispieceofLeviathan

InLeviathan,Hobbestouthisdoctrineofthefoundationofstatesand

hanwas

writtenduringtheEnglishCivilWar;muchofthebookisoccupiedwith

demonstratingthenecessityofastrongcentralauthoritytoavoidthe

evilofdiscordandcivilwar.

Beginningfromamechanisticunderstandingofhumanbeingsandthe

passions,Hobbespostulateswhatlifewouldbelikewithoutgovernment,

state,eachperson

wouldhavearight,orlicen,,Hobbes

argues,wouldleadtoa"warofallagainstall"(bellumomniumcontra

omnes),andthuslivesthatare"solitary,poor,nasty,brutish,and

short"(xiii).

Toescapethisstateofwar,meninthestateofnatureaccedetoasocial

ingtoHobbes,societyis

apopulationbeneathasovereignauthority,towhomallindividualsin

abusofpowerbythisauthorityaretobeacceptedasthepriceofpeace.

However,healsostatesthatinverecasofabu,rebellionis

icular,thedoctrineofparationofpowersis

rejected:[12]thesovereignmustcontrolcivil,military,judicialand

ecclesiasticalpowers.

Leviathanwasalsowell-knownforitsradicalreligiousviews,whichwere

oftenHobbes'sattempttoreinterpretscripturefromhismaterialist

ialofincorporealentitiesledhimtowrite,for

example,thatHeavenandHellwereplacesonEarth,andtotakeother

sbeen

madeofhisreligiousviewsbyscholarssuchasRichardTuckandJ.G.

,butthereisstillwidespreaddisagreementaboutthe

significanceofLeviathan'vetaken

theworktomeanthatHobbeswasanatheist,whileothersfindtheevidence

forthispositioninsufficient.

Opponents

JohnBramhall

Hobbesnowturnedtocompletethefundamentaltreatiofhis

edsosteadilythatDeCorporewasfirst

1654,asmalltreati,OfLibertyandNecessity,

waspublishedbyBishopJohnBramhall,ll,a

strongArminian,hadmetanddebatedwithHobbesandafterwardswrotedown

hisviewsandntthemprivatelytobeansweredinthisformbyHobbes.

Hobbesdulyreplied,enchacquaintance

tookacopyofthereplyandpublisheditwith"anextravagantlylaudatory

epistle."Bramhallcounteredin1655,whenheprintedeverythingthathad

pasdbetweenthem(underthetitleofADefenceoftheTrueLibertyof

HumanActionsfromAntecedentorExtrinsicNecessity).In1656Hobbeswas

readywithTheQuestionsconcerningLiberty,NecessityandChance,in

whichhereplied"withastonishingforce"apsthe

firstclearexpositionofthepsychologicaldoctrineofdeterminism,

Hobbes'sowntwopieceswereimportantinthehistoryofthefree-will

hopreturnedtothechargein1658withCastigations

ofMrHobbes'sAnimadversions,andalsoincludedabulkyappendixentitled

nevertookanynotice

oftheCastigations.

JohnWallis

Formoredetailsonthistopic,eHobbes-Walliscontroversy.

BeyondthespatwithBramhall,Hobbeswascaughtinariesofconflicts

athanhehad

eHobbeswasso

evidentlyoppodtotheexistingacademicarrangements,andbecauDe

Corporecontainednotonlytendentiousviewsonmathematics,butan

unacceptableproofofthesquaringofthecircle(whichwasapparently

anafterthought),mathematicianstookhimtobeatargetforpolemics.

JohnWalliswasnotthefirstsuchopponent,buthetenaciouslypursued

ultingcontroversycontinuedwellintothe1670s.

Laterlife

Hobbespublished,in1658,thefinalctionofhisphilosophicalsystem,

remainderofthetreatidealtcursorilywithsomeofthetopicsmore

tionto

publishingsomecontroversialwritingsonmathematicsandphysics,Hobbes

etimeofthe

Restorationheacquiredanewprominence;"Hobbism"becameafashionable

creedwhichitwasthedutyof"everyloveroftruemoralityandreligion"

ngking,Hobbes'sformerpupil,nowCharlesII,

rememberedHobbesandcalledhimtothecourttogranthimapensionof

£100.

ThekingwasimportantinprotectingHobbeswhen,in1666,theHouof

meyear,

on17October1666,itwasorderedthatthecommitteetowhichthebill

wasreferred"shouldbeempoweredtoreceiveinformationtouchingsuch

booksastendtoatheism,blasphemyandprofaneness...inparticular...

calledtheLeviathan".[13]Hobbeswasterrifiedat

theprospectofbeinglabelledaheretic,andproceededtoburnsomeof

ametime,heexaminedtheactualstate

ultsofhisinvestigationwerefirstannounced

inthreeshortDialoguesaddedasanAppendixtohisLatintranslation

ofLeviathan,appendix,Hobbes

aimedtoshowthat,sincetheHighCourtofCommissionhadbeenputdown,

thereremainednocourtofheresyatalltowhichhewasamenable,and

thatnothingcouldbeheresyexceptopposingtheNiceneCreed,which,he

maintained,Leviathandidnotdo.

TheonlyconquencethatcameofthebillwasthatHobbescouldnever

thereafterpublishanythinginEnglandonsubjectsrelatingtohuman

1668editionofhisworkswasprintedinAmsterdambecau

hecouldnotobtainthecensor'slicenceforitspublicationinEngland.

Otherwritingswerenotmadepublicuntilafterhisdeath,including

Behemoth:theHistoryoftheCausoftheCivilWarsofEnglandandof

theCounlsandArtificesbywhichtheywerecarriedonfromtheyear

etime,Hobbeswasnotevenallowedtorespond,

ethis,hisreputationabroadwas

formidable,andnobleorlearnedforeignerswhocametoEnglandnever

forgottopaytheirrespectstotheoldphilosopher.

Hisfinalworkswereacuriousmixture:anautobiographyinLatinver

in1672,andatranslationoffourbooksoftheOdysyinto"rugged"

Englishrhymesthatin1673ledtoacompletetranslationofbothIliad

andOdysyin1675.

InOctober1679,Hobbessufferedabladderdisorder,whichwasfollowed

id

tohaveutteredthelastwords"Agreatleapinthedark"inhisfinal

momentsoflife.[14]eBaptistChurchin

AultHucknallinDerbyshire,England.