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Was English Philosopher Thomas Hobbs right on the motivations of man ?

Update:

Is selfishness and fear the two strongest motivations of an individual?

2 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    2 years ago
    Favourite answer

    Up to a point but he provided a starting point for others to elaborate, develop, and supercede his ideas.

    Fear can be a powerful motivator, but selfishness is a weakness

  • Anonymous
    2 years ago

    Hobbes = hedonism; Hobbes anticipated Kant (and modern neurophysiology) by positing that sensations ---> simple awareness ---> more complex awareness (ideas, simple, ---> complex).

    Hobbes posited +/- or attraction/aversion as developing of body sensations; more complex hedonist +/- develop a la the same "--->" sequence noted above.

    Hobbes posited mechanistic process with emotions able to override thoughts, hence people in societies needed total supervision (apparently Hobbes found no evidence of God/Kantian moral awareness within).

    If one's perception of mankind is limited to Hobbes' theory, then one may leave out God or altruism, etc., and even Maslow's functional research: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_o...

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