Oliver Yu

3PHL

Rene Hobbes: Doubting the Leviathan

Abstract:

Rene Descartes is one of the main influences during the modern period with his
work in his meditations using methodic doubt in order to know something that can’t be
doubted, Thomas Hobbes on the other hand created a political philosophy that a
supreme ruler must rule the people called the Leviathan; my paper is about these two
great philosophers their philosophy and try to synthesize both of their most famous
ideologies, Rene Descartes for his methodic doubt and The Political Theory of Hobbes,
The purpose of my study is to grasp the essence of Hobbes Leviathan and the
meditations of Descartes in order to come up with a great fusion of the two. As we are
living in the Philippines, a poor governed country the purpose of my study is also to find
out whether the Leviathan could change the government for the better or it could be
doubted and is not needed and this paper will also tackle on the different beliefs of the
two philosophers and also their similarities, the objective of my paper is not only to
compare the two philosophers but to also combine their ideas, beliefs and ideologies.

Outline:

I. Introduction to Rene Descartes and Thomas Hobbes

II. Explain the Philosophy of Rene Descartes and Thomas Hobbes

III. Compare Similarities of the two

IV. Compare Differences

V. Conclusion

I. Introduction to Rene Descartes and Thomas Hobbes

a. Explain their origin, life and influences

II. Explain the Philosophy of Rene Descartes and Thomas Hobbes

b. Extract the main ideologies of the Philosophers
 c. Cite/quote important texts from the book

III. Compare Similarities of the two

d. Compare their ideologies

IV. Compare Differences

e. Differentiate their ideologies

V. Conclusion
f. Synthesize their philosophy
g. find an application in our current society
h. closing

Bibliography:

Descartes, R. (1988). Descartes: Selected philosophical writings. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.
a. Broughton, J., & Carriero, J. P. (2008). A companion to Descartes. Malden, MA:

Blackwell Pub

b. Hauskeller, M. (2010). Why Buridan’s Ass Doesn’t Starve. Philosophy Now, (81).

c. Williams, G. (n.d.). Hobbes, Thomas: Moral and Political Philosophy [Internet

Encyclopedia of Philosophy]. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/

Hobbes, T., & Tuck, R. (1996). Leviathan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

a. Martinich, A. (1997). Thomas Hobbes. New York: St. Martin's Press.

b. Luke, P., & Chase, R. M. (2008). An Argument About Free Will. Philosophy Now,
(66).
c. Skirry, J. (n.d.). Descartes, Rene [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy].
Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/