Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 A summary biography of Hobbes
- 2 Hobbes's scheme of the sciences
- 3 First philosophy and the foundations of knowledge
- 4 Hobbes and the method of natural science
- 5 Hobbes and mathematics
- 6 Hobbes on light and vision
- 7 Hobbes's psychology
- 8 Hobbes's moral philosophy
- 9 Hobbes's political philosophy
- 10 Lofty science and local politics
- 11 Hobbes on law
- 12 History in Hobbes's thought
- 13 Hobbes on rhetoric
- 14 Hobbes on religion
- Bibliography
- Index
7 - Hobbes's psychology
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 May 2006
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 A summary biography of Hobbes
- 2 Hobbes's scheme of the sciences
- 3 First philosophy and the foundations of knowledge
- 4 Hobbes and the method of natural science
- 5 Hobbes and mathematics
- 6 Hobbes on light and vision
- 7 Hobbes's psychology
- 8 Hobbes's moral philosophy
- 9 Hobbes's political philosophy
- 10 Lofty science and local politics
- 11 Hobbes on law
- 12 History in Hobbes's thought
- 13 Hobbes on rhetoric
- 14 Hobbes on religion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Many of Hobbes's philosophical views about psychology appear quite up-to-date. Views very similar to Hobbes's are still being maintained by many, although often in a slightly more sophisticated form. In what follows I shall discuss only Hobbes's philosophical views concerning psychological topics, not his empirical speculations. With regard to matters of sense, this is explicitly in accordance with Hobbes's view of philosophy, for he says, in talking of phantasms involved in sense, we can only know “some ways and means by which they may be, I do not say they are, generated” [De Corp. ch. 25, i; EWl, p.388). Hobbes was quite inventive to say that “phantasms seem to be without, by reaction of the endeavour outwards, so pleasure and pain, by reason of the endeavour of the organ inwards, seem to be within” (De Corp. ch. 25, 12,- EWl, 406. See also Lev. ch. 1, WIII, 2; and D.H. ch. 11, 1). Hobbes knew, however, that this was empirical speculation, and it should be distinguished from what would now be classified as his philosophical views concerning sense.
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- Information
- The Cambridge Companion to Hobbes , pp. 157 - 174Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1996
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