Hobbes+Question+1

Using actual quotes and your explanation of them, explain what Hobbes believes is the 'origin of good and evil' (Ch. VI pp.1-2 of the packet). Hobbes believes that good originates from any, "object of any man's appetite or desire", and that evil derives from, " the object of his hate and aversion," which is a result of desiring the absence of an object. Thus, Hobbes is stating that desire and love create our perception of good, and that whatever disgusts or repulses us is evil in our eyes. Also, Hobbes states that, "good, evil, and contemptible are ever used with relation to the person that useth them," to describe an object. This means that what is good and evil are completely reliant on the perception of the individual on an object, and that there is no finite good or evil, just its relative value to each individual

Do you agree? I agree with Hobbes on his belief of the origin of good and evil, to some extent. I believe that everyone sees certain things as good and evil based upon how that object has affected them, whether it be directly, indirectly, pyschologically, physically, etc. However, what can also be seen as good and evil is how something affects our natural rights. Anyone or anything that prevents us from keeping harm from oursleves would be considered evil, as well as anything that prevents and individual from having peace by giving up his own rights. Because the desires by one individual may cause another to be unable to have peace, this action would be considered good by the former and evil by the latter, which would confirm Hobbes's belief that there is no definite good and evil, only the opinion of each for each action.