Hobbes, Locke and Astell: Week 3 Lecture
HOBBES (compared to Rousseau), LOCKE AND ASTELL
I HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AROUND THE TIME OF HOBBES: RENAISSANCE TO
BAROQUE
II HOBBES (COMPARED TO ROUSSEAU) (1588 – 1679)
III THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
IV LOCKE – LIFE AND IDEAS (1632 – 1704)
V ASTELL – LIFE AND IDEAS (1668 – 1731)
I : HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AROUND THE TIME OF HOBBES:
RENAISSANCE TO BAROQUE
17th Century philosophers
rationalism
empiricism
Rationalism – sees knowledge existing independently of physical reality Empiricism – sees
knowledge as based on observable, physical reality
th
During Descartes time, the 17 century philosophers were in a debate of being against knowing
(rationalism and empiricism)
• during and after the 17th Century empiricists Francis Bacon and John Locke were rejecting the
old magical ideas and arguing that physical reality works according to mechanical principles by
studying things empirically these philosophers believed they could figure everything out, there was
cultural progress A few notes on Middle Ages first
in monasteries, the copying of old manuscripts by hand: digests of Plato, Aristotle etc. was
transcribed in these monasteries by these monks
the Church’s authority was supreme, despite these digests from largely known philosophers
more time – intellectual interests: people in the church began to integrate the ideas of other
philosophers
medieval philosophy – the joining of faith with reason: it was very much an intellectual period, as
thinking become more self reflective, reason became the tool in debate
Philosophy as the handmaid of theology; reason was subordinate to faith
tension between reason and faith was now heightened
by 12th century books by Plato are available and philosophical battle is waged
religious authority – faith alone vs. religious philosophers, interested in teaching of Greek
philosophers
1340’s there were many crisis’ for Vienna, crop failures, etc
1348 – the Bubonic Plague (Black Death). Small outbreaks of Plague until 1600’s wiped out more
than half of the urban population, killed about 3060 percent of the European population. Wages
increased due to lack of workers and historians see this as a large change for European history
The fear of death, and the desire to enjoy life was intensified during this period due to Black Death
Seen as a sign of divine wrath, warning of a sinful humanity or
fear of death intensified the desire to enjoy life
a springboard for economic growth
‘Dangerous Beauty’ movie clip
based on a true story of a women who chose the life of a prostitute, instead of not marrying him
she was assigned to
courtesans were allowed to access libraries unlike any other woman, and this found herself
incredibly intelligent and powerful in Venice at the time, the women were covered in black, ignored and ignorant
tried as a witch as scapegoat to blame of the Black Plague
I HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AROUND THE TIME OF HOBBES
a) magnetic compass – greatly impelled intellectual innovation
b) gunpowder – contributed to the demise of the old feudal order
c) mechanical clock – became the paradigm of modern machinesthe printing press – allowed the
dissemination of new and revolutionary ideas throughout Europe: this separated and freed humans
from the clock of nature
Hans Holbein The Ambassadors (1533) – exchange of ideas and exploration: important painting
of the 1500’s that displayed many cultural items that were apparent during this time: uniting
exploration and the church: a large skewed skull plays with optics, uncertainty, time, illusion
inventions were powerfully modernizing and ultimately secularizing in their effects: Hobbes
believes that we live out of fear and must find some sort of power that will keep us safe
overthrow of medieval feudal structures
the printing press allowed the growth of individualism, people could write and print their own
works
silent reading helped free individual from collective control of thinking
new era’s emerging science; shaping the modern view
now individual ability and deliberate political action and thought carried the most weight individual
man as adventurer, genius and rebel
After the 15th and 16th century the centre of the universe is no longer European
a sense of Relativism Protestant Reformation – 1517 – Martin Luther – condemning abuses of the church and sparked a
popular revolt: soon joined by rules that saw the pope as a rival
focused on the relationship of the individual believer to God
15h century saw the spread of literacy and coral between the pope and monarchy (Hobbes
Times)
Baroque Period: pertaining to art and thought in Europe
style of music composi
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