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    Personal Background: Thomas Hobbes, An English Philosopher in The 17th Century, Was Best

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    Lisle Arellano Golocan
    Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher in the 17th century best known for his book Leviathan and his political views. He grew up during a time of social and political change as hereditary powers ceased and democracy and humanism grew in influence. His most famous work, Leviathan, published in 1651, argued that strong central government was necessary to avoid conflict and instability in society. He wrote several other works exploring political philosophy and the English civil war. Hobbes viewed people as self-interested and society as orderly only under an absolute sovereign with authority over all citizens.

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    Personal Background: Thomas Hobbes, An English Philosopher in The 17th Century, Was Best

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    Lisle Arellano Golocan
    30 views2 pages
    Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher in the 17th century best known for his book Leviathan and his political views. He grew up during a time of social and political change as hereditary powers ceased and democracy and humanism grew in influence. His most famous work, Leviathan, published in 1651, argued that strong central government was necessary to avoid conflict and instability in society. He wrote several other works exploring political philosophy and the English civil war. Hobbes viewed people as self-interested and society as orderly only under an absolute sovereign with authority over all citizens.

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    THOMAS HOBBES

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    Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher in the 17th century best known for his book Leviathan and his political views. He grew up during a time of social and political change as hereditary powers ceased and democracy and humanism grew in influence. His most famous work, Leviathan, published in 1651, argued that strong central government was necessary to avoid conflict and instability in society. He wrote several other works exploring political philosophy and the English civil war. Hobbes viewed people as self-interested and society as orderly only under an absolute sovereign with authority over all citizens.

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    30 views2 pages

    Personal Background: Thomas Hobbes, An English Philosopher in The 17th Century, Was Best

    Uploaded by

    Lisle Arellano Golocan
    Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher in the 17th century best known for his book Leviathan and his political views. He grew up during a time of social and political change as hereditary powers ceased and democracy and humanism grew in influence. His most famous work, Leviathan, published in 1651, argued that strong central government was necessary to avoid conflict and instability in society. He wrote several other works exploring political philosophy and the English civil war. Hobbes viewed people as self-interested and society as orderly only under an absolute sovereign with authority over all citizens.

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    THOMAS HOBBES:

    Personal Background: Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher in the 17th century, was best
    known for his book Leviathan (1651) and his political views on society. He was born in
    Westport, England, on April 5, 1588, was known for his views on how humans could thrive in
    harmony while avoiding the perils and fear of societal conflict. His father was the disgraced vicar
    of a local parish, and in the wake of the precipitating scandal (caused by brawling in front of his
    own church) he disappeared, abandoning his three children to the care of his brother. This uncle
    of Hobbes', a tradesman and alderman, provided for Hobbes' education. Already an excellent
    student of classical languages, at age 14 Hobbes went to Magdalen Hall in Oxford to study. He
    then left Oxford in 1608 and became the private tutor for William Cavendish, the eldest son of
    Lord Cavendish of Hardwick (later known as the first Earl of Devonshire). In 1610, Hobbes
    traveled with William to France, Italy and Germany, where he met other leading scholars of the
    day, such as Francis Bacon and Ben Jonson.
    Historical Background: During the renaissance. Along with the society and culture, politics
    changed. Renaissance and Politics Renaissance had 3 basic forms of Government: Princedoms,
    Monarchies, and Oligarchies/The Republics. One of the largest political changes during that
    period was segregation of politics from Christianity. Religion was no longers seen as a part of
    governance and authority. Government and politics both were affected by humanism. Humanism
    also brought with it the concept of democracy as the society began to value its contribution and
    opinion in the politics.
    Hereditary powers began to ceased because people can raise their class in the class system; they
    realized that they do not have to stay in the class in which they were born. Feudal system was
    suspended. Politically, the whole Europe was divided but slow and gradual growth in commerce
    sector unified the continent.
    Works: Hobbes wrote several versions of his political philosophy, including The Elements of
    Law, Natural and Politic (also under the titles Human Nature and De Corpore Politico)
    published in 1650, De Cive (1642) published in English as Philosophical Rudiments Concerning
    Government and Society in 1651, the English Leviathan published in 1651, and its Latin
    revision in 1668. Others of his works are also important in understanding his political
    philosophy, especially his history of the English Civil War, Behemoth (published 1679), De
    Corpore (1655), De Homine (1658), Dialogue Between a Philosopher and a Student of the
    Common Laws of England (1681), and The Questions Concerning Liberty, Necessity, and
    Chance (1656). All of Hobbes’s major writings are collected in The English Works of Thomas
    Hobbes, edited by Sir William Molesworth (11 volumes, London 1839–45), and Thomae Hobbes
    Opera Philosophica Quae Latina Scripsit Omnia, also edited by Molesworth (5 volumes;
    London, 1839–45). Oxford University Press has undertaken a projected 26 volume collection of
    the Clarendon Edition of the Works of Thomas Hobbes. So far 3 volumes are available: De Cive
    (edited by Howard Warrender), The Correspondence of Thomas Hobbes (edited by Noel
    Malcolm), and Writings on Common Law and Hereditary Right (edited by Alan Cromartie and
    Quentin Skinner). Recently Noel Malcolm has published a three volume edition of Leviathan,
    which places the English text side by side with Hobbes’s later Latin version of it. Readers new to
    Hobbes should begin with Leviathan, being sure to read Parts Three and Four, as well as the
    more familiar and often excerpted Parts One and Two. There are many fine overviews of
    Hobbes’s normative philosophy, some of which are listed in the following selected bibliography
    of secondary works.

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