Thomas Hobbes?

Question

I have to write a paper about specific economic systems that Thomas Hobbes would support. I know that Thomas Hobbes believes in sovereign authority and thinks humans are selfish in a state of nature, but then what economic system would he support? Would it be command, traditional, socialist, fascist, market, or mixed?

I know it might not be market or traditional...then would it be command?

Answer 1

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes

Answer 2

I have not heard otherwise that people rightly contract one an other for help of each for a trade of something or other for something or other. Such contraction for co-operation between citizens of a sovereign state is given the name free enterprise, but there is exception given from Hobbes:

"III. But one of the Naturall Lawes deriv'd from this fundamentall one is this, That the right of all men, to all things, ought not to be retain'd, but that some certain rights ought to be transferr'd, or relinquisht: for if every one should retain his right to all things, it must necessarily follow, that some by right might invade; and others, by the same right, might defend themselves against them, (for every man, by naturall necessity, endeavours to defend his Body, and the things which he judgeth necessary towards the protection of his Body) therefore War would follow. He therefore acts against the reason of Peace, (i.e.) against the Law of Nature, whosoever he be, that doth not part with his Right to all things."

http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/decive2.htm


And Hegel on Hobbes:

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/hp/hpgrotiu.htm#hobbes

"Before this ideals were set before us, or Holy Scripture or positive law was quoted as authoritative. Hobbes, on the contrary, sought to derive the bond which holds the state together, that which gives the state its power, from principles which lie within us, which we recognize as our own. In this way two opposite principles arise. The first is the passive obedience of subjects, the divine authority of rulers, whose will is absolute law, and is itself elevated above all other law. All this is represented in close connection with religion, and proved by examples from the Old Testament, by such stories as those of Saul and David. Criminal and marriage laws, too, for long derived their character from the Mosaic laws, or, speaking generally, from those the provisions of which possessed their value by the fact of being established by express divine command. On the other hand we have in the second place the reasoning wherein we ourselves are the determining agents, and which was called sound reason. In the movement which Cromwell made use of there was allied with this a fanaticism, which from the written letter drew opposite conclusions to the above, and this we see exemplified in the equality of property, for instance. Hobbes, it is true, likewise maintained passive obedience, the absolute freedom of the royal will and power; but at the same time he sought to derive the principles of monarchical power, etc., from universal determinations. The views that he adopts are shallow and empirical, but the reasons he gives for them, and the propositions he makes respecting them, are original in character, inasmuch as they are derived from natural necessities and wants."

Answer 3

go to the library and check out books on Thomas Hobbes or look him up on the internet. I dont think it is fair we do the research for YOUR paper and not get the credit for it