The Leviathan

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

I am currently up late reading The Leviathan for a class. Hobbes is typically presented as a conservative, but this isn't really that accurate of a view. He is not a communist, by any means, but I think his social contract theory and his views on man avoiding a state of nature are important. Anyone else read any of this text?

[RevolutionaryMarxist]

From my understanding, this was at a time of great turmoil.

He is trying to justify a Absolutist Monarch because he say its the "lesser of 2 evils", which the other evil is local feudal lords and aristocrats constantly waging war amongst each other.

So in A Monarchy, there is oppression, but its a lot less in comparison.

He also viewed negatively human nature, which caused such things. Whenever people could, they would try to exploit, murder, cheat, lie, and ruin, and so the Monarchy was needed to prevent a anarchy of these negative actions in society.

Thats How I understand him.

In the Leviathan too there is a LOT of religious references about the validity of scripture in goverment and the "Dark Kingdoms" (Godless/Atheist or Anti-Christian) which he said were also "needed" because they were God's test of our wills or something like that. I'm not exactly sure how that plays a part into his philosophy but it is likely major.

[which doctor]

Remember that he came from an aristocratic upbringing loyal to the Stuart family, so of course he wanted to justify absolute monarchal rule.

[gilhyle]

What was progressive about Hobbes was his 'materialism'. But he was on the wrong side in a war and thats that.