Thomas Hobbes

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the work of Thomas Hobbes and suggests that he was an authoritarian political theorist. In particular, the paper examines Hobbes' attitudes vis-a-vis the sweeping powers of a sovereign ruler and his attitudes towards religious toleration. The writer argues that, on both counts, Hobbes' political theory leans towards an authoritarian approach at odds with twenty-first century sensibilities.

From the Paper:

"It is only fair to suggest that, of all the great Western philosophers of the last four hundred years, Thomas Hobbes is inescapably the least-loved. Much of this, it can be argued, is his own doing. In a modern age that values the primacy of the individual and trumpets the virtues of small government, Hobbes' authoritarian leanings and his belief that the individual must be subjugated to the sovereign power of the state are views understandably ill-received. This paper examines how Hobbes' philosophy practically encourages a zealous monarch to conflate the state's interests with his own personal and selfish ones; moreover, this paper also examines Hobbes' political theories - at least as they are delineated in the Leviathan."

More papers on Thomas Hobbes :

• Analytical Essay # 73552 : "Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes"
• Essay # 137614 : "Topic 3: Analyzing Thomas Hobbes as Utopian Philosopher in the Context of Sovereign Government"
• Comparison Essay # 66019 : "Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: