Bad Tom Hobbes

When the grogue loosens his tongue, he relaxes enough to tell stories such as that of his premature birth, allegedly brought about when his mother was frightened half to death by the hordes of Barcelona supporters who spread chaos across England during a European Cup Final. Sober, however, he becomes guarded and occasionally arrogant. His views on human nature and on the primacy of security over liberty help explain the enduring appeal of authoritarian arguments advanced by certain politicians, as discussed here, here and here.

Thomas Hobbes was one of the principal theorists of modern political thought, renowned for his realistic and often pessimistic view of human nature. In his most famous work, Leviathan, he argues that, in the state of nature, human beings exist in a condition of perpetual conflict—a “war of every man against every man”—driven by fear, self-interest and the pursuit of power.

To escape this condition and secure peace, Hobbes proposed a social contract through which individuals surrender part of their freedom to a strong sovereign authority. This central power, vested with near-absolute authority, would be responsible for maintaining order and preventing a return to widespread violence. His ideas exerted a profound influence on the development of political philosophy and continue to shape debates concerning the role of the State, authority and collective security.

Excluindo as imagens criadas pelo autor deste blog, as imagens utilizadas neste post têm as seguintes lincenças:

Thomas Hobbes: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Hobbes_by_John_Michael_Wright_(2).jpg