Homo homini deus est – homo homini lupus est. Some Remarks concerning Hobbes’ View of Human Nature Cover Image

Homo homini deus est – homo homini lupus est. Kilka uwag o naturze ludzkiej według Hobbesa
Homo homini deus est – homo homini lupus est. Some Remarks concerning Hobbes’ View of Human Nature

Author(s): Jakub Szczepański
Subject(s): Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Political Philosophy
Published by: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Hobbes; state of nature; war; fear;

Summary/Abstract: The subject of the article is the question concerning Thomas Hobbes’ view of human nature. This question goes hand in hand with his famous sentence: homo homini lupus est. In the first part of article, the provenance of this citation is described. Subsequent sections are devoted to an attempt to establish how accurately Hobbes saw the basic features of the human condition. The next issue under consideration is the proper sense of another famous Hobbesian citation: bellum omnium contra omnes. The conclusion of the article runs as follows: the true Hobbesian opinion about human nature is different than that which is ascribed to him. A reconstruction based on the texts seems to be more complex and leads to the conclusion that the main motive behind human actions is fear.

  • Issue Year: 58/2013
  • Issue No: 58
  • Page Range: 73-81
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Polish