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Hobbes VI (Pt II, chs. 22-4, 28-30)

Hobbes VI (Pt II, chs. 22-4, 28-30). PHIL 2345 2008-09. ‘Systemes’, Factions, Ch. 22. Freedom of movement: only if ‘lawfull’ No right to assembly for large groups of people-their motives suspect on their face (125; 133) Lawful groups such as corporations

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Hobbes VI (Pt II, chs. 22-4, 28-30)

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  1. Hobbes VI (Pt II, chs. 22-4, 28-30) PHIL 2345 2008-09

  2. ‘Systemes’, Factions, Ch. 22 • Freedom of movement: only if ‘lawfull’ • No right to assembly for large groups of people-their motives suspect on their face (125; 133) • Lawful groups such as corporations • Unlawful groups: private armies, corporations of beggars, thieves (131) • Also unlawful: Factions, Conspiracies, Leagues of Subjects (132) • E.g. ‘Factions for Government of Religion’ (132).

  3. Ministers of Sovereign, Ch. 23 • Economic roles: taxation, treasury, etc. • Military • ‘Public Ministers = teachers of duties toward sovereign (‘civics’?) (135) • They are judges • By authority from Sovereign, who receives authority from God (why is God being introduced here?) • Godliness • Just/unjust

  4. The English Jury System, Ch.23 • Hobbes praises the jury of 12 of one’s peers • These are ‘peers’, literally: • If you are noble, you are tried by the House of Lords • If a commoner, by men of your area • Why is this good justice? • ‘there could be nothing alledged by the party, why the sentence should not be final’ • Public persons (judges) like ‘organs of Voice in a Body naturall’ (136).

  5. Nutrition and Procreation of a Commonwealth (Ch. 24) • Natural commodities, near surface of the earth • God may give or ‘sell’ them to us—this is heterodox theology • in the Fall (Genesis, Garden of Eden), man sinned against God’s command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; • Man’s labour is not part of a business transaction or contract with God—it is a punishment, according to orthodox theology. • Another example of Hobbes’ odd theological ideas!

  6. Nutrition and Procreation of a Commonwealth (Ch. 24) • Commodities: this is what the War of all against all is for (138) • Requires institution of property within civil society—civil law • One’s property is one’s own • This does not exclude Sovereign • Distribution of land: a portion may be assigned to each Subject • A victor may take it all and reassign it, as William the Conqueror did (when?) • Sovereign may keep land to pay for defence (139).

  7. Dangers of public revenue • Taxes, public lands tend toward dissolution of Commonwealth (139) • Monarch or Assembly • ‘too negligent with money’ • ‘too hazardous in engaging the publique Stock into a long and costly war’. • Gold and silver: means of exchange, of storing perishable value • Analogy to the circulation of blood in the veins (141).

  8. Procreation • Colonies, e.g. in North America (in Hobbes’ time) • In places ‘voyd’ of inhabitants, or made so by war (i.e. conquest) • Colonists under a governor (rather unlike Mayflower pilgrims) • They may be independent of ‘mother’ city, as were ancient Greek colonies • Or provinces, as were Roman settlements

  9. Dissolution of Commonwealths(ch. 29) • Infirmities of Commonwealth—analogy to body • Defective procreation, i.e. Institution • Taking less power than is needed to maintain the peace and the Commonwealth • Seditious doctrines, e.g. • that each should judge good/evil (relativism), or • should choose his/her own faith—idea propagated by the ‘pens of unlearned Divines’ (182) • Doctrine of Sovereign’s subservience to the law (likewise rejected by Rousseau) • Absolute right to property, exclusion of Sovereign • Division of sovereign power

  10. Other dangerous examples • The Low Countries, rich and divided • Reading histories of ancients • Justification of ‘tyrannicide’ • 2 Kingdoms—earthly and heavenly, in opposition, causes trouble • Fear drives men to concern with heavenly powers, Ghosts, etc. • ‘A Disease which not unfitly may be compared to the Epilepsie’ (185). • See also ch.30 for list of what is to be taught.

  11. Sovereign (ch. 30) • ‘The Office of the Sovereign consisteth in the end, for which he was trusted with the Sovereign power, namely…the safety of the people’ (187). • Includes ‘all other Contentments of Life’ • Sovereign must have and maintain absolute power • Otherwise, the Commonwealth will dissolve, SoN results (188).

  12. Sovereign and law • Sovereign power enhanced by • Equity, equal justice for all (193) • Bad laws should be eliminated • Law is to keep subjects from hurting themselves (193).

  13. Questions What did you learn from reading Hobbes? Do you agree with any of his ideas?

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