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E211: British Literature to 1760 Thomas Hobbes Study Questions Alfred J. Drake. Office: Hum. 520 | W 3-4 | ajdrake@ajdrake.com Leviathan 1. On 1588, what sort of being is “Leviathan,” Hobbes' figure for the State? In what sense is Leviathan or the State a product of “artifice”? What does Hobbes apparently mean by his term “artificial”? 2. On 1589-90, how, according to Hobbes, does knowledge arise from sensory experience? And how does “sense” itself operate? How does he differentiate his theory of sense reception from that of the Aristotelian Scholastic philosophers of the Middle Ages? 3. On 1590-91, why, according to Hobbes, do people seek to augment their power in the state of nature? What “three principal causes of quarrel” does Hobbes identify, and what results flow from them? 4. On 1591-92, how does Hobbes define his term “war”? In “the war of all against all,” what can't people do that they can when the social contract is in effect? 5. On 1592, Hobbes discusses the terms “justice” and “injustice.” What is their source? Why can't there be justice in a state of nature? 6. On 1592-93, how does Hobbes deal with the fact that under a monarchy, violence does not altogether cease? What benefits does absolute sovereignty bring? 7. On 1593-94, Hobbes differentiates between the Right of Nature ( ius naturale ) and the Law of Nature ( lex naturalis ). What's the distinction between them? In what way does reason lead us to transfer our unrestricted individual liberties to an absolute ruler? Why is it reasonable to seek peace? 8. On 1594-95, how does Hobbes finally define “justice”? How does reason bid us to keep our covenant? What about rebellion—what's the paradox in Hobbes' position about rebellions such as the one made by Oliver Cromwell's Puritans against King Charles I and the Anglican Church? 9. In what ways would Hobbes fundamentally disagree with those who were later to make the American Revolution and draft its primary documents on the people's liberties and the authority of government? Edition: Abrams, M.H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vols. 1A, 1B, 1C. 7th. edition. New York: Norton, 2000. ISBN #'s: 1A = 0393975657, 1B = 0393975665, 1C = 0393975673.
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