The epistemology of Thomas Hobbes is based on the sociology of knowledge, understanding the contexts of constructed reality and social contracts and boundaries which define his argument. However, examining the text, it can be argued that Hobbes was more of an intuitionist than a nominalist, affirming the existence of abstract concepts. Other literature suggests Hobbes was a nominalist, reducing the universal concept to definitions and terms which also depended on human will and perceptions. Nevertheless, Hobbes seems to distinguish his writings on the Law of Nature from realistic conditions, with the philosophy based on maxims of the knowledge of human nature and behavior that apply moral precepts on science as the knowledge of causes.
In his article, Weber states “the nature of the relationship of scientific work and its presuppositions varies widely according to their structure” (Gerth and Mills 9). He goes on to argue that although certain sciences collect technical data on laws of cosmic events, it does inherently prove the existence of meaning or sense of such as world. Hobbes does not create an exact science around his laws of nature argument but builds a logical thesis based on the social and internal conditions of humans that present an explanation of particular forces, laws, or influences. However, his epistemology seeks to develop the ontology of the state of nature-based complex forms of social contracts and behaviors in mankind reduced to computational reasoning. Hobbes supported in his argument for the implementation of computational mechanisms for defining laws of nature and mental processes.
Hobbes’ presentation of natural law is inherently considered positivistic as his work is often viewed as a forerunner to legal positivism. From a legal perspective, Hobbes argues that the skill of recognizing social rules as the law of nature is directly correlated to institutional law. Natural law creates reason and justification to build a realistic system of positive law, establishing an artificial and effective legal order. Therefore, based on this argument, it can be suggested that Hobbes was a positivist, as his epistemology sought to make sense of the social contexts and sciences, applying elements of rationalism through intuitionist perspectives as well as the structure of the scientific method to study social life.
Positivism supports that true knowledge is achieved through sense perception and logical deduction that determine patterns and categories. Hobbes builds his description of the state of nature-based on moral precepts, “And consequently it is a precept, or general rule of reason: that every man ought to endeavour peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it” (Hobbes 2). In Leviathan, Hobbes maintained an approach of establishing a philosophical logical basis to social psychology, providing secular explanations to the political state and interactions of people with the government and each other. The human motivations were explained through mechanistic principles in a metaphysical thought experiment of his Social Contract Theory.
Works Cited
Gerth, Hans, and C. Wright Mills, editors. Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. Oxford University Press, 1946.
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Penguin Books, 2017.