Mr Hobbes Takes the Stage

Thomas Hobbes was born on this day in 1588.

Among other things he addressed questions on the rights of the individual and with that how any particular state is an artifact, not divinely ordained.

Celeste Friend writing at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says Hobbes “argues, radically for his times, that political authority and obligation are based on the individual self-interests of members of society who are understood to be equal to one another, with no single individual invested with any essential authority to rule over the rest, while at the same time maintaining the conservative position that the monarch, which he called the Sovereign, must be ceded absolute authority if society is to survive.”

Important guy…

Complex. Not always fun.

People said he was an atheist or close enough. Apparently not meant to be a complement. He thought it was meant to distract people from his arguments.

Lot of that going around.

Then and now…