CTI 302
22. What does Rousseau identify as "the maxim of natural goodness"?
"Do what is best for you with the least possible harm to others". This is a way of stating the golden rule in the context of Rousseau's ideology.
SE1 Compare and contrast
*Socrates and Augustine* both believe in a ultimate goodness, differing in what it is, but both acknowledging the impossibility of attaining it in this world. Both would argue it should be chased nonetheless. -*All four* views are disappointingly mercenary, do the right thing live in personal harmony or so that you can enjoy eternal life or the benefits of the commonwealth or because your instincts will be gratified. None of them are selfless, even if they believed living their version of justice would be better for others around the individual as well
SE2 3. How would Hobbes and Rousseau respond?
-Hobbes would generally approve or accept Rome. It is a powerful, secure commonwealth, although the internal turmoil common to the empire would disturb him. -People are pursuing their pleasures as the covenant allows. Allowing for people to make their own moral rules/ covenants in their own homes with the consent of others. -He would approve of those who disagree being cast out, no room for questioning sovereign. -Rousseau *and Hobbes* would disapprove of the inequalities described between rich and poor. -People subject to other people and not laws -Rousseau would disapprove of Rome, its size and material extravagance make it dependent on other cities and conquest -amour-propre is rampant -too large for familial love
SE2 2.How does that critique follow from his understanding of human psychology?
-Rome is a perfect example of the City of Man. -People are chained to original sin that drives us to vice and we require guidance to live by God's doctrine to be as good as we can in this world.
SE4 Compare and contrast the conclusions Rousseau and Darwin draw about the origins and character of sociability and morality using lower animals and primitive humans
-Rousseau believed humans were naturally asocial/amoral and independent -people settled together on accident when they formed family units that developed into communities -perfectibility and accidents led us to moral understanding -the division of labor led to dependence -departure from nature -primitive humans lived in abundance for their simple needs so no struggle for existence -Darwin believed we became naturally moral as our social instincts similar to many animals were enhanced by our intellectual abilities. -Morality is therefore in our nature -Every animal was subject to constant struggle for existence including us
SE2 1. Explain Augustine's critique of Rome.
-Worship and imitation of wicked Gods. -Absorbed with material prosperity, extravagance, luxury, glorious war, pride, and shallow pleasures. --State characterized by focusing on docility of people and allows freedom to behave in private as those present consent. -Anyone who attempts to change it is hustled out - Inequalness poor serving rich
LE Hobbes 1.What does happiness consist in/ how do we attain it? 2.What are the obstacles? 3. Can they be overcome? 4.Role of politics
1. Felicity is the continual progress of the desire from one object to another. Power is our ability to attain our desires and avoid our aversions. We have a constant yearning to improve or maintain the future condition to be pleasurable. *For the masses the best bet is the commonwealth* more security from death, desire of things necessary for commodious living, and hope to attain those things by industry 2. Our own passions that motivate us to quarrel and breaking the social contract: -competition -diffidence -glory 3. Yes they are easy to overcome. One simply submits his right to use his power for gain at the expense of others so long as that person submits his (second law) and the power of the sovereign compels you to keep this covenant 4. To provide peace and security and enforcement of social contract and covenants.
LE Socrates 1.What does happiness consist in/ how do we attain it? 2.What are the obstacles? 3. Can they be overcome? 4.Role of politics
1. Happiness to Socrates is contentment of having the good for oneself always (cite Diotima and Eros). The only way to have the good is to have knowledge of the good which requires the soul to be well ordered and philosophic practice. 2. To achieve this ultimate contentment, we would need to know everything, not possible also mortality 3. Not in a lifetime. But he would say that reaching towards this ultimate good will make us happier 4. The regime has a number of responsibilities. Kallipolis and its philosopher kings would promote the pursuit of knowledge of the good and promote well ordering of the soul.
SE1 Hobbes 1. What is going on when we struggle to be righteous? 2. What forces move us to be righteous? 3. What forces in our soul resist that urge? 4. How and to what extent can humans overcome that resistance?
1. Hobbes would say that man, having bought into a social contract, is concerned with his felicity and power because breaking the covenants of the commonwealth could harm him/ his power and result in removal from the commonwealth. 2. Love of honor would motivate him to act justly 3. Love of power and pleasures 4. Reasonably well. The laws of nature serve as a guide to crafting an efficient commonwealth.
SE1 Augustine 1. What is going on when we struggle to be righteous? 2. What forces move us to be righteous? 3. What forces in our soul resist that urge? 4. How and to what extent can humans overcome that resistance?
1. Man was made intrinsically good by God, but corrupted by original sin. 2. Love of God and neighbor motivate us to act justly 3. Even virtuous men are subject to original sin, tempted by pride and worldly things. 4. It is impossible to be completely virtuous in this life, but if we try to be good we can secure afterlife in the City of God
LE Rousseau 1.What does happiness consist in/ how do we attain it? 2.What are the obstacles? 3. Can they be overcome? 4.Role of politics
1. Our ultimate happiness/ contentment is behind us. The character of the hut society was such that we enjoyed modest luxuries, familial and paternal love, and abundant resources for our modest lifestyles, but were still totally independent of each other in needs. 2. Our perfectibility took us too far and the division of labor made us dependent on each other. our growth in goods makes resources scarce Also size of communities 3. Not really but the effects can be reversed some 4. Imitate that state as closely as possible. Places like Geneva where the city is small enough for familial love or patriotism, free (from subjection to other men)
SE1 Socrates 1. What is going on when we struggle to be righteous? 2. What forces move us to be righteous? 3. What forces in our soul resist that urge? 4. How and to what extent can humans overcome that resistance?
1. Socrates would say that urges is the rational element of the brain trying to interject over the appetite and spirit. 2.People want to do the right thing "no one would willingly live with a diseased soul" we intrinsically value virtue. 3. Ignorance causes a poor ordering of the soul. Distinguish between doing the right thing on purpose and by chance (convo w/ Diotima). 4. Knowledge of the good increases the rational elements ability to control the other elements. Philosophical training
SE1 Darwin 1. What is going on when we struggle to be righteous? 2. What forces move us to be righteous? 3. What forces in our soul resist that urge? 4. How and to what extent can humans overcome that resistance?
1. The *Moral Sense* struggle is the competition of our social instincts with our self preservation instincts. 2. Our *social instincts are the innate propensities to enjoy in the society of our peers, to sympathize, and perform various services for them.* More persistent, but less intense. Satisfaction from fulfilling 3. Our preservation or self-interest instincts are more intense but less persistent, push us to be selfish 4. The feeling of remorse when we do need heed our social instinct makes humans increasingly more moral. Free will makes us able to do the right thing
LE Augustine 1.What does happiness consist in/ how do we attain it? 2.What are the obstacles? 3. Can they be overcome? 4.Role of politics
1. True happiness or contentment possible only in The City of God/ Heaven. Not much to look forward to on Earth. Attained by living this life as close to God's doctrines as possible, being humble, loving God and thy neighbor. 2. Original Sin tethers us to vice, our own passions mislead us sometimes. 3. Not entirely but to some extent yes. Be humble and subservient to God. Live virtuously to secure content afterlife. 4. Regime that promotes Christianity, its virtues, and equality among men.
8. What are the two consequences of original sin for human beings, according to Augustine?
1.being chained to sin 2.mortality
16. How is it, according to Hobbes, that human beings are naturally equal?
Being equal in ability and strength means that we're equally vulnerable to death and we're equal in mind so we're equal in opinion of wisdom.
17. What, according to Hobbes, are the three principal causes of quarrel in human nature?
Competition, Diffidence and Glory.
LE Comparisons
Contentment vs happiness Socrates, Augustine, and Rousseau have concepts of our ultimate happiness or contentment. And the state is unattainable in this life, but imitable -Hobbes Does not believe in contentment at all sice we can never have enough power. Always concerned for future,, until death. Death Augustine "death" is eternal damnation, but passing on is only way to reach heaven Socrates death is the limiting factor.
SE4 Similarities
Emotion that motivates us to help others. but Rousseau says pity
19. What, according to Rousseau in the Epistle Dedicatory of the Second Discourse, does it mean to be free?
Everyone is equally subject only to the law and not to any other human will. "So subject to the laws as to that neither I nor anyone else could shake off their honorable yoke."
SE3 Injustice vs Justice who's happier.
Glaucon tells us of the Ring of Gyges which allows the wearer to act with impunity. Since no one moderates him, he can take whatever he like however he likes. -Darwin would say that man would be plagued with guilt and lack of satisfaction from helping others -Though there are people out there out there that do not feel the pulls of the moral sense, namely psychopaths, Darwin would argue those people are unnatural - The argument is convincing because it applies to the vast majority who do feel the effects of the moral sense which neurotypical people have
SE3 Darwin would admire the perfectly just man in Glaucons speech why?
Glaucon's perfectly just man is good for the sake of being good. Darwin believed there is an internal mechanism that makes us satisfied by doing good.
SE2 4. Comp and contrast what these evals reveal about their views on human nature and politics.
Hobbes hypothetical view on Rome show his modern political philosophy, allowing people to behave as they are wired to, pursue self interests. Rejects idealism. -Rousseau's response shows his attachment the golden age of hut societies -highlights his view on equality and subjection to law as opposed to other men
Long Essay Compare and cont Socrates, Augustine, Hobbes, and Rousseau on happiness. What role ought politics play in politics? THESIS
Human nature is the foundation upon which political philosophies are built. How to attain happiness is a central question of human nature and therefore political philosophy. All four thinkers have different conceptions of happiness leading to to different ideas about political regimes.
24. For Rousseau, what stage of development is the "best" for human beings?
Hut Society ("the midpoint between the indolence of the primitive state and the pride of the current state") is the best because it entails luxuries, familial love and individuals remain independent.
23. According to Rousseau, what is the difference between amour de soi-même and amour-propre?
Love of Self (self-preservation which is natural) vs. Love of Oneself in Regard to Others' Opinions (unnatural and bad in Rousseau's view).
31. What is meant by "the regime" in classical political philosophy, according to Strauss?
Strauss says that a regime is the order or form in which gives society its character. Regimes are the style of life or moral state of a society. Regimes outline what an ideal citizen is.
21. Define perfectibility
The doctrine, advanced by Rousseau, that people are capable of achieving perfection on earth through natural means, without the grace of God which distinguishes humans from any other animal.
20. Why, according to Rousseau, is human nature like the statue of Glaucus?
The statue of Glaucus has been degraded overtime due to weathering and no longer resembles what is used to be. Human nature is like this statue because human nature has been altered drastically overtime and no longer resembles what it used to be.
11. How does Augustine characterize the condition of just peace?
The tranquility of internal order (in general). The body subordinate to the soul and the soul subordinate to God. People are equal to each other.
15. What are the forms of commonwealth, according to Hobbes? Name and define them. On the basis of what criterion does Hobbes evaluate them? Which one does he regard as superior?
The types of commonwealth vary based on how large a group the sovereign consists of. A single ruler is a monarchy, a group of rulers is an aristocracy, and multiple rulers consists of a democracy. He bases his opinion of each commonwealth on their conduciveness of peace and security. In his opinion, monarchy is the most stable of the commonwealths and therefore most superior
