Additionally Hobbes claims that one of the most frequent causes of crime is vain glory, or a foolish overrating of ones worth. Fear is the emotion-behavioral trait that causes the least amount of crime to be committed (220). Ambition, combined with a grandiose vision of yourself is a dangerous combination. All leaders have to have it to some degree, but those who society considers to be great leaders usually have it in large amounts. It propels them to great heights only to drop them. You could say this was the case with leaders like Napoleon, or the axis powers in World War Two, but is also applicable to leaders who were not involved in militaristic conflicts. Take Richard Nixon, he received one of the largest popular mandates of all time in the 1972 election only to resign a year or so later to the subsequent cover-up of Watergate. In the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher resigned after a decade in power. Rejected by her own party, and by many in the public who saw her idea of a flat tax as overreaching. An inflated sense of self may get you far, but it is not sustainable. Eventually it will become your own worst enemy.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Hobbes Chapter 27 "Crime"
Reading Chapter 27 of the Leviathan I was interested to see what opinions held on crime, and really criminality in general. According to Hobbes a crime is defined as "..is a sin, consisting in the committing, by deed or word, of that which the law forbiddeth, or the omission of what it hath commanded". (218). Crime is not only those who break the law, but those who fail to work the law into practice. You could make the argument that Hobbes would be in favor of calling personal injustices crimes. The police officer that is discriminatory in who they decide to pull over, failing to recognize the concept that justice is blind. Or the politician and other party officials who gerrymander districts in order to stack an upcoming election in favor of their candidate. This are pretty common examples but it proves a point that you can not follow the law to the letter without being in violation of it completely, thus you are caught in a legal gray-area where you have a choice to act or not to act.
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The only problem with your argument in the quote "one could make the argument that Hobbes would be in favor of calling personal injustices crimes" (blogger Perry Olason), is that Hobbes already makes this argument. The difference is, Hobbes states the judgment will come to pass on judgment day, the day you die. Hobbes explains thou those crimes are not committed through the word of mouth or proven criminal through the law of man, they will be found guilty when ones days are done. These cops spoken of will get their judgment when they die, which would be a more valid fear if every cop was a religious man in fear of committing those crimes. Hobbes believes there is no a grey area because every crime man made or personal will be judged and the justice needed will be given.
ReplyDeleteThe comments reflecting "the most frequent causes of crime is vain glory, or a foolish overrating of one's worth" (220 V2) seem to focus solely on the negative condition where people are overrating of their worth. When a leader is coming into power or has power, the question arises, would anyone follow a king or a sovereign that does not see them self worthy for such glory. For it is important to see self-worth and over rate it because the commonwealth will not recognize kings or sovereigns who do not recognize themselves. Not all overrating has to be flaunted there are ways to humble glory. If a king or a sovereign chooses to be humble but have traits even the king or sovereign recognize as better than the people they govern. The king or sovereign should choose to show those traits to gain the support if the commonwealth and gain a position of power. Through helping the people by dedicating one's life to the people the over rating of self can prove positive for the governed. The two public officials mentions Richard Nixon and Margaret Thatcher used an overrating of self-worth, sinning as Hobbes suggests. Yet, this is only part of the definition of sin and crime that Hobbes depicted. "Every crime is a sin; but not every sin is a crime." (237 V1) The purposes of these officials have not proven against the possibility of having been used for the greater good. The officials may have been sinful but what they did seem to be either possibly for the greater good or working towards a greater good. The last part of this blog can't be right because it is arguing that the sins committed are crimes and should have been avoided through fear. Not all sin is a crime.