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  4. <TITLE>Reading Revolutions -- Hobbes -- Intellectual History</TITLE>
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  19.     <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"><b><a href="lectures.html">INDEX</a></b><br><br><font size="+1"><center><i>Reading Revolutions:  Intellectual History</i><br><br>Hobbesian Science<br><br><font size="+0">
    20. 

  20. Frank Underkuffler<br>&nbsp;</center>
    21. 

  21. 

  22. <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    23. 

  23. 	<p>The following is a summary of Frank Underkuffler's presentation:<p>Frank Underkuffler gave a talk at the University of Maine at Farmington about the philosopher Thomas Hobbes
    24. 

  24. 	(1588-1679)
    25. 

  25. 	that aimed to change the way we look at Hobbes.&nbsp; As those who are familiar with Hobbes know, Hobbes is famous in philosophy circles primarily for his development of social contract theory and his defense of 
    26. 

  26. 	monarchy.&nbsp; But, this is not the Hobbes that Underkuffler is interested in.&nbsp; More interesting to Underkuffler is Hobbes the epistemologist and metaphysician.&nbsp; Accordingly, Underkuffler focused his discussion on the epistemology and metaphysics of Hobbes, so that his audience might come to appreciate facets of Hobbes that seldom get much attention.
    27. 

  27. 	<p>The reason Underkuffler said he finds Hobbes the epistemologist and 
    28. 

  28. 	metaphysician more interesting than Hobbes the political philosopher is that Hobbes' contributions to epistemology and metaphysics have had a much greater impact on the development of ideas and society than Hobbes' political philosophy.&nbsp; After all, Underkuffler pointed out, few nations in the world have a monarchial government based on Hobbes' political philosophy, yet most physical scientists and psychologists have inherited a great deal from Hobbes' empiricism.&nbsp;
    29. 

  29. 	<p>To help his audience understand how important Hobbes' empiricism was to the 
    30. 

  30. 	Enlightenment and is to modern science, Underkuffler gave his audience a brief lesson in European history leading up to Hobbes.
    31. 

  31. According to Underkuffler, prior to the Protestant Reformation, Europe was smothered by the all powerful Catholic Church. The 
    32. 

  32. 	Church during this time was bent on maintaining its authority and did so quite effectively by prohibiting ideas that challenged church doctrine. This created a rather static and monolithic understanding of the world and prevented Europeans from making any intellectual progress 
    33. 

  33. 	while at the same time provided Europe with stability and a shared culture.&nbsp; 
    34. 

  34. 	The Church used its power to prevent war and acted in some ways like a 
    35. 

  35. 	United Nations.
    36. 

  36. 	<p align="center">
    37. 

  37. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/hobbes1.jpg" width="640" height="467">
    38. 

  38. 	<p align="left">&nbsp;<p>The peace and security provided the environment for 
    39. 

  39. 	greater literacy, leisure, and reflection.&nbsp; Eventually, the authority of the 
    40. 

  40. 	Church to interpret the bible for everyone came under attack by Martin Luther and other 
    41. 

  41. 	Protestant reformers.&nbsp; Protestants declared that they had a right and responsibility to interpret the bible for themselves and that there was nothing the 
    42. 

  42. 	Church could do to stop them.&nbsp; Subsequently, the Catholic Church's ability to control how people viewed the world declined.<p>
    43. 

  43. 	<p align="center"><img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/hobbes2.jpg" width="640" height="467">
    44. 

  44. 	<p align="left">Adding personal revelation to the system of doctrine had the interesting effect of calling into doubt the long standing method employed by Europeans to verify the truth of their beliefs.&nbsp; Prior to the 
    45. 

  45. 	Protestant Reformation, the truth was defined as the Catholic Church's official doctrines.&nbsp; But after the 
    46. 

  46. 	Reformation, it was open to religious thinkers as well as philosophers to try to come up with new ways of assessing what is truthful and what is not. 
    47. 

  47. <p>According to Underkuffler, it was out of this new found freedom that the seeds of the 
    48. 

  48. Enlightenment sprouted in the writings of Thomas Hobbes.&nbsp; In his book <i>Leviathan</i>, 
    49. 

  49. published in 1651, Hobbes puts forth a number of empiricist ideas that would later become central to the 
    50. 

  50. Enlightenment.&nbsp; One such idea is Hobbes' proposition that the world is composed of matter in motion that is governed by the laws of cause and<font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/DSC00189w.jpg" width="450" height="253" align="right"></font> effect.&nbsp; This marks a pivotal break from the Church's teaching that immaterial things like divine intervention and souls have a direct influence on the way that the world operates.&nbsp; 
    51. 

  51. God was seen as the source of all knowledge and power.&nbsp; Kings ruled by 
    52. 

  52. Divine Right, the Pope was inspired by God and the people were simply the 
    53. 

  53. recipients of all this wisdom but had no direct line to God.&nbsp; Under Hobbes' 
    54. 

  54. materialism people had the ability to question and were on an equal footing with 
    55. 

  55. both kings and popes since knowledge had an empirical base.<p>Essentially the 
    56. 

  56. 	individual was reborn.&nbsp; The individual did not exist in medieval 
    57. 

  57. 	ideology.&nbsp; You were essentially part of a team.&nbsp; Just as dramatic 
    58. 

  58. 	as individuation was something that was parallel development in the arena of 
    59. 

  59. 	science.&nbsp; It starts with Nicholas Copernicus.&nbsp; 
    60. 

  60. 	<p>Copernicus was a minor churchman.&nbsp; He dedicated his book to the 
    61. 

  61. 	Pope.&nbsp; He must have been aware that his ideas would be controversial 
    62. 

  62. 	but the Church could live with them.&nbsp; The heliocentric universe did not 
    63. 

  63. 	pose a major problem for dogma as long as it was quietly added to the body 
    64. 

  64. 	of knowledge.&nbsp; What they could not survive was an entirely new truth 
    65. 

  65. 	finding method.&nbsp; Copernicus, perhaps unwittingly, became the first to 
    66. 

  66. 	use the empirical method.&nbsp; This is much more radical than making a 
    67. 

  67. 	small change by adding personal revelation, this change could potentially 
    68. 

  68. 	change every single doctrine.</font><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><p>
    69. 

  69. 	</p>
    70. 

  70. 	<p align="center"><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    71. 

  71. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/newtoniansciencew.jpg" width="640" height="600"></font></p>
    72. 

  72. 	</font></font></font><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    73. 

  73. 	<p>If you contrast what would become the basis for Newtonian science with 
    74. 

  74. 	the assumptions and methods of Judeo/Christian doctrine you will see that 
    75. 

  75. 	the latter is a static system while the former is a dynamic system.&nbsp; 
    76. 

  76. 	The empirical method has a log rolling effect in that each observation and 
    77. 

  77. 	theory leads to new hypotheses and tests.&nbsp; It is a system designed to 
    78. 

  78. 	change and destroy old knowledge.&nbsp; In fact, after Copernicus the new 
    79. 

  79. 	scientific method developed rapidly through Francis Bacon, Kepler, and 
    80. 

  80. 	Galileo.</p>
    81. 

  81. 	<p align="center"><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    82. 

  82. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/hobbeschart.jpg" width="640" height="623"></font></p>
    83. 

  83. 	</font><font size="+1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    84. 

  84. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    85. 

  85. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    86. 

  86. 	<p>
    87. 

  87. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/DSC00248w.jpg" width="450" height="253" align="left" hspace="6" vspace="6"></p>
    88. 

  88. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    89. 

  89. 	<p><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    90. 

  90. 	Hobbes draws on the mechanics of <a href="Galileo.html">Galileo</a>, the 
    91. 

  91. 	materialism of Descartes and his rational method, and on Francis Bacon's 
    92. 

  92. 	methods to make a radical step forward.&nbsp; Hobbes truth can only be proven by the existence of 
    93. 

  93. 	empirical evidence and by establishing causal regularity and prediction.&nbsp; 
    94. 

  94. 	That is only possible if all reality is matter in motion.&nbsp; Everything 
    95. 

  95. 	is material.&nbsp; Thoughts and feelings are also matter in motion, that is 
    96. 

  96. 	the only way that they can have an effect on other matter.</font></p></font>
    97. 

  97. 	<font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    98. 

  98. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    99. 

  99. 	<p>It follows that humans and human behavior is lawful, that is, caused by 
    100. 

  100. 	matter in motion.&nbsp; Notice that these laws come from observation not 
    101. 

  101. 	from any sacred authority.&nbsp; He applies Galileo's principle of motion to 
    102. 

  102. 	all natural laws including human sense perceptions.&nbsp; The soul is 
    103. 

  103. 	material.&nbsp; What might appear to be immaterial is simply a by-product of 
    104. 

  104. 	the sense impressions.&nbsp; Hobbes compared the soul to a dream or the 
    105. 

  105. 	reflection in a mirror.&nbsp; </font>
    106. 

  106. 	<font size="+1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"></p>
    107. 

  107. 	<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
    108. 

  108. 	<p align="center"><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    109. 

  109. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/soulquotew.jpg" width="639" height="195"></font></p>
    110. 

  110. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    111. 

  111. 	<p><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    112. 

  112. &nbsp;</font></p>
    113. 

  113. 	<p><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    114. 

  114. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/DSC00220w.jpg" width="450" height="253" align="right"></font></p>
    115. 

  115. 	</font><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    116. 

  116. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    117. 

  117. 	<p>In order to make science possible, Hobbes had to link the real world to 
    118. 

  118. 	our sense impressions.&nbsp; Rather than a God given knowledge of the 
    119. 

  119. 	universe, he proposed a sensory or empirical basis for thoughts, images, and 
    120. 

  120. 	ideas.&nbsp; Each sense responded to a natural force such as light.&nbsp; At 
    121. 

  121. 	that time little was known of the nature of light and light waves.&nbsp; 
    122. 

  122. 	Instead he used light motion interacting with objects to produce a 
    123. 

  123. 	subsequent motion that when hitting our sense organs was transformed into a 
    124. 

  124. 	representation of the object in our brains.</p>
    125. 

  125. 	</font><font size="+1"><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    126. 

  126. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    127. 

  127. 	<p>&nbsp;</p>
    128. 

  128. 	<p align="center"><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    129. 

  129. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/perceptiontheory.jpg" width="640" height="660"> </font>
    130. 

  130. 	</p>
    131. 

  131. 	<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
    132. 

  132. 	</font></font><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    133. 

  133. 	<p align="left">The scientific theory of perception was a crucial link between the 
    134. 

  134. 	external world and our experience.&nbsp; It is the most important of the 
    135. 

  135. 	scientific theories, because without it, you simply cannot do science.&nbsp; 
    136. 

  136. 	First the theory states that the entire universe is matter, people are 
    137. 

  137. 	matter, light is matter, and matter is matter.&nbsp; So, we must have a way 
    138. 

  138. 	to observe matter.&nbsp; For instance, if we look at vision we find that the 
    139. 

  139. 	light source, would produce 'ether' according to Hobbes, the ether or medium 
    140. 

  140. 	would agitate matter and the matter would<font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">, 
    141. 

  141. 	in turn,
    142. 

  142. 	</font>&nbsp;agitate our senses and that would produce a representation of 
    143. 

  143. 	matter in our brains.&nbsp; The entire system is cause and effect.&nbsp; </p>
    144. 

  144. 	<p align="left">Further, all we &quot;see&quot; is a representation of the matter, not 
    145. 

  145. 	the matter itself.&nbsp; The theory further distinguished 
    146. 

  146. 	between primary and secondary qualities of objects.&nbsp; For instance, mass 
    147. 

  147. 	is a primary characteristic of the external object and belongs to it, but weight, color, and texture 
    148. 

  148. 	are all secondary qualities and products of our interpretation of the 
    149. 

  149. 	sensory information.&nbsp; A wagon is not red, it is red because our senses 
    150. 

  150. 	react to it in that way on the basis of the motions of the light particles.&nbsp; 
    151. 

  151. 	We live in a soundless, odorless, tasteless, colorless world of particles in 
    152. 

  152. 	motion.&nbsp; The observer interprets the motion to produce some sort of 
    153. 

  153. 	representation depending on the sense involved.</p>
    154. 

  154. 	<p align="left">In the final law, Hobbes says that we are caused by matter 
    155. 

  155. 	in motion.&nbsp; There is no free will.&nbsp; Everything that we do is fully 
    156. 

  156. 	determined by the natural laws.&nbsp; Finally, he says that it is an amoral 
    157. 

  157. 	system.&nbsp; He challenges the people who say that things are right or 
    158. 

  158. 	wrong because God told them, it is rather the world of reason responding to 
    159. 

  159. 	the natural laws.&nbsp; Why is it bad to destroy life?&nbsp; According to 
    160. 

  160. 	Hobbes, not because God says so, but because it is against our 
    161. 

  161. 	self-interest, our interest to live.&nbsp; People are governed by the need 
    162. 

  162. 	to answer basic needs and will find a way to answer those needs.&nbsp; The 
    163. 

  163. 	fact that we live in a society with others who have competing needs means 
    164. 

  164. 	that we must adapt to the dangers that competition presents.&nbsp; For 
    165. 

  165. 	Hobbes, civilization also obeyed the natural laws.</p>
    166. 

  166. 	</font><font size="+1"><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    167. 

  167. 	<p><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    168. 

  168. 	<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/DSC00271w.jpg" width="450" height="253" align="left"></font></p>
    169. 

  169. 	<p><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    170. 

  170. 	Underkuffler pointed out that Hobbes' contributions to science are 
    171. 

  171. 	absolutely immense.&nbsp; Essentially society is a machine and people are 
    172. 

  172. 	robots.&nbsp; Now science could make predictions in human arena.&nbsp; 
    173. 

  173. 	Hobbes because essentially the first political scientist.&nbsp; There was 
    174. 

  174. 	one small step from there to Darwin, for once we are machines and caused by 
    175. 

  175. 	matter in motion, all we needed was a mechanism to figure out how we got 
    176. 

  176. 	here.&nbsp; Darwin produced that natural mechanism.</font></p>
    177. 

  177. 	</font></font><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    178. 

  178. 	<p>Underkuffler then drew us back to the present to see the long range 
    179. 

  179. 	effects of Hobbes and the growth of science.&nbsp; He asked, &quot;Did science 
    180. 

  180. 	completely replace religion?&quot;&nbsp; In our society we have both, they exist 
    181. 

  181. 	side by side.&nbsp; Look at Judeo/Christian Doctrine and Newtonian science 
    182. 

  182. 	again.&nbsp; They are polar opposites.&nbsp; Sacred truth opposes 
    183. 

  183. 	observation, intuitive faith opposes inductive logic, qualitative versus 
    184. 

  184. 	quantitative, teleological versus mechanical -- every method of knowledge is 
    185. 

  185. 	different and incompatible.</p>
    186. 

  186. 	<p>These systems are so different that most so-called debates between 
    187. 

  187. 	proponents aren't debates at all.&nbsp; They don't speak the same language 
    188. 

  188. 	and they can't understand one another's argument.&nbsp; To the scientist 
    189. 

  189. 	saying &quot;It's in the bible&quot; just doesn't make any sense.&nbsp; The system of 
    190. 

  190. 	proof proposed by the scientist is irrelevant to the individual who relies 
    191. 

  191. 	totally on religious authority.&nbsp; </p>
    192. 

  192. 	<p>We live in a society with a split personality between two knowledge 
    193. 

  193. 	ideologies that can't even communicate with each other.&nbsp; While we 
    194. 

  194. 	currently have &quot;debates&quot; concerning intelligent design, that is only the 
    195. 

  195. 	most recent challenge to science and it will not be the last.&nbsp; This 
    196. 

  196. 	situation has been going on for 400 years now.&nbsp; Don't expect a solution 
    197. 

  197. 	to the conflict between faith and reason anytime soon, Underkuffler 
    198. 

  198. 	concluded.`</p>
    199. 

  199. 	<p>Marilyn Shea <br>with Michael Hughes, Class of 2006 </p>
    200. 

  200. 	</font><font size="+1"><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    201. 

  201. 	</font><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
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  202. 	
    203. 

  203. 	</font><hr width="60%"><hr width="40%"></font>
    204. 

  204. 	<font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><p>
    205. 

  205. 

  206. Following the presentation members of the audience examined a first edition copy 
    207. 

  207. of <i>Leviathon</i>.</p>
    208. 

  208. 	</font><font size="+1">
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  209. 	<table border="0" width="100%" id="table1" cellspacing="4">
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  212. 			<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/1234w.jpg" width="400" height="392"></td>
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  213. 			<td align="center"><a href="pictures/Hobbes/1466wll.jpg">
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  214. 			<img border="0" src="pictures/Hobbes/1466w.jpg" width="287" height="400"></a></td>
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  218. 			<font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
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  219. 			Examining <i>Leviathan</i></font></td>
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  220. 			<td align="center"><font size="+0" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">
    221. 

  221. 			<font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">
    222. 

  222. 			Frontispiece from <i>Leviathan</i><br>
    223. 

  223. 			Click for enlargement</font></td>
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  224. 		</tr>
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  225. 	</table>
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  226. 	<p><br><br><br>
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  227. 

  228. 

  229. 	</p>
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  230. 

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  234.           <td width="100%"><center><table border="6" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse"  width="100%" id="credits" bordercolor="#111111" bgcolor="#cccccc">
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  235.         <tr>
    236. 

  236.           <td width="100%"><blockquote><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"><br>Citation:<br><br>"Hobbesian Science."&nbsp;  Summary of a lecture by Frank Underkuffler.&nbsp; University of Maine at Farmington, September 21, 2005.&nbsp;  Retrieved _______.&nbsp; 
    237. 

  237. &lt;http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Reading_Revolutions/Hobbes.html&gt;.<br><br>URL:  <a href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Reading_Revolutions/index.html">http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Reading_Revolutions/index.html</a>  <br><br>Marilyn Shea, 2005<br><br>
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  239. </blockquote></td></tr></table></center>
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  240. </td></tr></table></center>
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