Similarities Between Hobbes And Southworth
In an attempt to discover who we truly are as a species , one might describe us humans as being creatures driven by passion. Passion is our desires- our very basic human wants and needs that include being able to do anything we want. This is considered to be natural to us and therefore creates our reality. Most people agree that we have to mold ourselves based off of this characteristic, but overall, it should be controlled. In the steps to analyzing the works of Thomas Hobbes and James Southworth, I noticed that they both somewhat believe that in our "natural state" without structure, are always in a state of conflict because there's no foundation either in the mind, or in society. Both men would agree that life in its natural state is heavily influenced by our Five senses (touch, sight, hear, smell, and taste).
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On top of this, we also perceive everything through emotions.
These traits are the building blocks of our identity and should be fed in order to better understand who we are. These two men seem to agree that our passions needs special attention in order to have an enduring and comfortable life. Despite being different, they share similar ideas, one being that humans can be similar to animals therefore cannot separate reason from passion. Philosophers like Rene Descartes believe reason triumphs passion, and we are distinct from animals because of God and superior intellect. Without God involved, I believe that in an isolated state away from any outside influence that we are naturally selfish and greedy; in the sense that we feed off our desires similar to animals. We have the will power to do good, but giving into our wants and needs is easier to us. Because of this quality, we are taught to control our emotions, passions, desires and feelings to make sense of our surroundings, but at the same times. Hume and Southworth are both related by opinion and may even support each
other.
During the Enlightenment period when knowledge was gained through reason and understanding, David Hume proposed the claim that reason is the slave of passion. . He argues that " man is a sociable rather than reasonable being; but neither can he always enjoy company agreeable and amusing, or preserve the proper relish for them (Hume 183). Our innate ability is to perceive the world through our senses, which opposes the use of dispassionate investigation; the idea that we must discover without the use of our natural passion and emotion because they hinder our ability. Rene Descartes claims that this holds true, and in fact has constrained our capacity to develop intellectually. One may even say that this is the better approach because what separates humans from animals is our capability to critically think, along with that, it diesregard the idea that humans are selfish and lack the willpower to be intellectual. He describes our senses as untrustworthy and states that " occasionally, I have found that they have deceived me, and it is unwise to trust completely those who have deceived us even once"( Descartes 173). Descartes proves that we are deceived even occasionally through our eyes, hands, feet, etc. These senses can sometimes contradict reality. "If God's goodness would stop him from letting me be deceived all the time, you would expect it to stop him from allowing me to be deceived even occasionally; yet clearly I sometimes am deceived"(174). The truth is we are to an extent being betrayed by our senses but with that in mind, there is no logical approach to withstand against this deception. We are unable to make sense of the world without use of our senses. Descartes describes knowledge as a basket with spoiled apples; success comes when you removed them. The problem is theses apples, our senses, represents all the apples in the basket. The matter of the fact is to accept it, but allow it to be directed. Thomas Hobbes during the 17th century preached that life was naturally solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. Such situation is an endless state of war, thus requiring some sort of structure or government. We can say that Hobbes argument for a social contract (along with Locke) has influenced the U.S. Hobbes' thinking marked a change in how we think, and still is very much relevant to today's world. Laurence Moss says that " Hobbes’s position is that man is made social by contract, not by instinct, and it is in this sense that social behavior is artificially contrived. Hume also described social order as “artificially” contrived but formed by custom and habit operating through human reasoning and propelled along by human passions"( 2010). Both philosophers believe that our natural state needs guidance, but Hume added to the idea of how the natural state came to exist rather than Hobbes statements on how to control it. Hobbes believe that innately, we rely only on our human instinct which is to survive. According to him, this instinct creates an "every man for himself" attitude that is animalistic , which has no room for reason or social organization. It's important to note that Hobbes doesn't believe humans are intentionally evil, but are rather selfish. Evil is being immoral and not conforming to accepted standards of morality.”. Hume believed that humans are naturally compassionate. It's what keep society together, " it enters more into common life(than reason); molds the heart and affections; and, by touching those principles which actuate men, reforms their conduct, and brings them nearer to that model of perfection which it describes" (182).To Hobbes, in an isolated state, humans resemble animals therefore there is no moral standard. Hobbes also agrees in a social contract which means he has to agree the idea that humans are naturally compassionate and caring , otherwise it would not be feasible to create order. This stronger understanding of David Hume through the ideals of Thomas Hobbes allows for a better understanding for the differences and similarities of James Southworth.
On top of this, we also perceive everything through emotions.
These traits are the building blocks of our identity and should be fed in order to better understand who we are. These two men seem to agree that our passions needs special attention in order to have an enduring and comfortable life. Despite being different, they share similar ideas, one being that humans can be similar to animals therefore cannot separate reason from passion. Philosophers like Rene Descartes believe reason triumphs passion, and we are distinct from animals because of God and superior intellect. Without God involved, I believe that in an isolated state away from any outside influence that we are naturally selfish and greedy; in the sense that we feed off our desires similar to animals. We have the will power to do good, but giving into our wants and needs is easier to us. Because of this quality, we are taught to control our emotions, passions, desires and feelings to make sense of our surroundings, but at the same times. Hume and Southworth are both related by opinion and may even support each
other.
During the Enlightenment period when knowledge was gained through reason and understanding, David Hume proposed the claim that reason is the slave of passion. . He argues that " man is a sociable rather than reasonable being; but neither can he always enjoy company agreeable and amusing, or preserve the proper relish for them (Hume 183). Our innate ability is to perceive the world through our senses, which opposes the use of dispassionate investigation; the idea that we must discover without the use of our natural passion and emotion because they hinder our ability. Rene Descartes claims that this holds true, and in fact has constrained our capacity to develop intellectually. One may even say that this is the better approach because what separates humans from animals is our capability to critically think, along with that, it diesregard the idea that humans are selfish and lack the willpower to be intellectual. He describes our senses as untrustworthy and states that " occasionally, I have found that they have deceived me, and it is unwise to trust completely those who have deceived us even once"( Descartes 173). Descartes proves that we are deceived even occasionally through our eyes, hands, feet, etc. These senses can sometimes contradict reality. "If God's goodness would stop him from letting me be deceived all the time, you would expect it to stop him from allowing me to be deceived even occasionally; yet clearly I sometimes am deceived"(174). The truth is we are to an extent being betrayed by our senses but with that in mind, there is no logical approach to withstand against this deception. We are unable to make sense of the world without use of our senses. Descartes describes knowledge as a basket with spoiled apples; success comes when you removed them. The problem is theses apples, our senses, represents all the apples in the basket. The matter of the fact is to accept it, but allow it to be directed. Thomas Hobbes during the 17th century preached that life was naturally solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. Such situation is an endless state of war, thus requiring some sort of structure or government. We can say that Hobbes argument for a social contract (along with Locke) has influenced the U.S. Hobbes' thinking marked a change in how we think, and still is very much relevant to today's world. Laurence Moss says that " Hobbes’s position is that man is made social by contract, not by instinct, and it is in this sense that social behavior is artificially contrived. Hume also described social order as “artificially” contrived but formed by custom and habit operating through human reasoning and propelled along by human passions"( 2010). Both philosophers believe that our natural state needs guidance, but Hume added to the idea of how the natural state came to exist rather than Hobbes statements on how to control it. Hobbes believe that innately, we rely only on our human instinct which is to survive. According to him, this instinct creates an "every man for himself" attitude that is animalistic , which has no room for reason or social organization. It's important to note that Hobbes doesn't believe humans are intentionally evil, but are rather selfish. Evil is being immoral and not conforming to accepted standards of morality.”. Hume believed that humans are naturally compassionate. It's what keep society together, " it enters more into common life(than reason); molds the heart and affections; and, by touching those principles which actuate men, reforms their conduct, and brings them nearer to that model of perfection which it describes" (182).To Hobbes, in an isolated state, humans resemble animals therefore there is no moral standard. Hobbes also agrees in a social contract which means he has to agree the idea that humans are naturally compassionate and caring , otherwise it would not be feasible to create order. This stronger understanding of David Hume through the ideals of Thomas Hobbes allows for a better understanding for the differences and similarities of James Southworth.