Hobbes and Language

That was the topic our group had to discuss. I wanted to expand on it, because at first it seemed so banal and not very extensive. However, after class I thought about it and there are still some other points to make. 

So I think there is more to the specific discussion of biology and psychology found in Part I and then the connection with politics in Part II. So really the influence of language is much more important and in the center of his works. Hobbes points out many times, that the whole of human life, everything that makes it, like the mental, social, and political is surrounded by language. Basically, once the mind is made up, every other addition consists of and depends highly on language. Hobbes talks about the the natural mind and its capacity for general and active thought can only happen through the surrounding of language.

Further and hence, Hobbes book is not really about man, but about language (words and ideas and the questions (ontology) how they came to be, how they are expressed, how they are diverted or misused. This goes back to the enlightening, where science or firstly reason is so important in the whole language setting, because only when words are measured, clear, objective, defined, etc. then we can make sense out of it.

Not sure whether this all makes sense now, I had a long day. I will look at it tomorrow again.