The State Of Nature Is An Important And Relevant...

Erich Harkema Prof. Wolfe 10/1/14 Intro: The state of nature is an important and relevant philosophical idea that has been discussed and debated for a long time. The reason it is such a key topic in philosophy is it delves into the reasoning behind why man had to create political society. In order to properly understand the philosophy of the state of nature it is important to look at conflicting viewpoints about it in order to understand it with less bias. Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rosseau both have differing viewpoints regarding the state of nature. Hobbes feels that man’s natural state is cowardly, fearful, almost paranoid, so man created political society in order to protect himself. Rosseau, on the other hand, feels that man was much happier before political society was created. Their viewpoints differ regarding the state of nature, man’s phase after leasing their state of nature, and the basis and legitimacy of the social contract. Hobbes’ and Rousseau’s views on man’s state of nature are quite different. Hobbes feels that man is naturally brutish, and constantly in a state of misery due to the fact that everyone else is your adversary and may act as they see fit. Due to this natural state, anyone could simply kill you in your sleep, like the coward that they naturally are. Hobbes felt that because man did not understand good and evil, man responds with violence or panic: â€Å"Hobbes maintains that man is naturally intrepid and seeks only to attack and fight†¦AndShow MoreRelatedAristotles Impact on Current Society812 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle’s Impact on Current Society _NAME___ HUM 360 B1 Wilmington University Aristotle was one of the most important western philosophers. He was a student of Plato and the teacher of Alexander the Great. He wrote on many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology. 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