The New Science of Politics Thomas Hobbes & the Social Contract

New v. Old Sciences of Politics Old Science of Politics Plato v. Aristotle Man by nature political Political orders teleological Power, authority as rule Power limited only by the telos of the city Justice depends on the telos of the city For Platonists, only one best regime: the Philosopher King For Aristotelians, several possible virtuous cities New Science of Politics Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Jefferson Man by nature equal to all other men Political orders established out of necessity No rulers but the rule of law Power limited by law or by necessity Justice depends on accordance with law & the public good

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) English clergyman & philosopher of Law Interpretation of society central to English idea of sovereignty Witness to: The English Civil War Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth Richard Cromwell’s Protectorate The Restoration of the English Monarchy

Hobbes and Human Nature “Nature has made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind as though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body or of quicker mind than another…the difference between man and man is not so considerable that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit to which another may not pretend as well as he.” (Part 1, Chapter 13) What?

Try again… “Nature has made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind as though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body or of quicker mind than another…the difference between man and man is not so considerable that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit to which another may not pretend as well as he.” (Part 1, Chapter 13) Nature men equal difference not so considerable

Prudence = experience; Equal time + equal application g equal prudence Equal how? “That which may perhaps make such equality incredible is but a vain conceit of one’s own wisdom, which almost all men think they have in a greater degree than the vulgar.” Equality of mind: Prudence = experience; Equal time + equal application g equal prudence Equality of strength: The weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest Remember Machiavelli? “In this world there is none but the vulgar.” (The Prince, Ch. 18)