1. Hobbes says (Leviathan, I,13) that “I put for a general inclination of all mankind a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.” Is this like Machiavelli’s notion that men are naturally greedy, or Luther’s that few are really Christians? What role does this judgment about people play in Hobbes’ theory?
2. Hobbes speaks of the sovereign. Who or what is the sovereign? Is it the same as a king (who was called the sovereign)? What are the limits of the sovereign’s authority? Is Hobbes an apologist for dictators?
3. Hobbes makes a sharp distinction between the life of men before and after the covenant (later called the social contract). What is the difference and why?
4. Is Hobbes theory based on observation, experiment, or (Platonic) dialectics? It is said to be one of the most unified, coherent theories about politics, and therefore aspiring to emulate the scientific models of the study of nature. Does it achieve that?
Application: how would Hobbes help you to understand and suggest actions to deal with police "brutality" against African-Americans?
Application: how would Hobbes help you to understand and suggest actions to deal with police "brutality" against African-Americans?
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