Second Year Humanities

Hobbes Unit, Lecture 2

Professor O'Rourke

Hobbes and Classical Political Philosophy

Introduction

1.  Re: Human Nature.  Are human actions driven by passion or guided by reason?

2.  Re: "Manners"(Morals).  Is there a natural, final good for human beings?

3.  Re: The Natural Condition of Human Beings.  Are human beings by nature non-political or political?

4.  Re: The Natural Moral Law.  Is there a natural moral law that applies in the "state of nature"?

5.  Re: The Genesis of the State.  Does the state originate in a contract made by individuals, or does it grow organically from other institutions?

6.Re: The Final End of the State.  Should the state fundamentally seek to prevent evils, or should it also promote the complete good of human beings?

Conclusion