Second Year Humanities Prof. B.J. Stahl

Unit: Hobbes

Lecture: "Hobbes, Leviathan, and the New Science"

STUDENT OUTLINE

I. Thomas Hobbes and the English government of his time

A. Hobbes¹ life: born (1588) when Elizabeth ruled and Shakespeare wrote

1) graduated Oxford & became tutor to son of Earl of Devonshire

2) fled to Paris because of political turmoil: wrote Leviathan (1651) B. Parliament gaining power to challenge monarch's "divine right"

1) House of Lords: seats for nobility and bishops

2) House of Commons: seats for men of property

C. Civil War: King & Cavaliers vs. Parliament & Oliver Cromwell

(and the Roundheads)

II. Leviathan -- the foundation of modern political science

A. Its contents: a design for the ideal government based on man's nature B. Hobbes' thesis: the Sovereign's power comes from the people, not God C. Hobbes' analogy between the human body & the State (an artificial man)

III. Development of the Sciences in the 17th century A. Astronomy: Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo B. Mathematics: logarithms and the calculus invented; use of decimals;

Descartes expounds analytical geometry

Newton's Principia Mathematica (1687) C. Experimental science: Francis Bacon's principles

Harvey demonstrates the circulation of the blood

IV. Hobbes influenced by the New Science

A. Hobbes' interest in mathematics; his meeting with Galileo

B. His systematic approach to solving the problem of governance

C. Hobbes' materialism: the concept of matter and motion in Leviathan

D. His concern for precise language; his scorn for "absurd speech"

E. His faith in reason and human effort: knowledge gives men power