1. According to Hobbes, is something good in and of itself or because a person desires it? Is the good relative? Overall, would you say Hobbes' theory of good is an objective or subjective theory? Compare it to those of previous philosophers in this course.

2. What is the significance of Hobbes' rejection of the Theory of Forms and other theories of the Good?

3. How does Hobbes describe the natural condition of Man? Did such a condition ever exist? Do you agree that people are primarily selfish and afraid for their lives? Does it make a difference whether or not such a state of nature ever actually existed?

4. What are Hobbes' definitions of the following?

(a) right of nature

(b) first law of nature

(c) second law of nature

5. What is a social contract? Can you think of examples of actual social contracts? Is the contract analogy properly applied to social relationships?

6. What is the "Great Leviathan" and how is it formed?

7. Compare and contrast Hobbes' view of the relationship between the individual and the state with that of Aristotle.

8. Why is Hobbes sometimes termed an egoist? What are psychological egoism, ethical egoism and altruism? What are some important positive and negative evaluations of psychological egoism and ethical egoism?

9.  Use the "Prisoner's Dilemma" to illustrate Hobbes' proposals about the relationships of the individual and society and possible criticisms of these views.

10. Compare Hobbes' views with those expressed by Glaucon in the "Ring of Gyges" section of Plato's Republic.

11. What are some possible criticisms of Hobbes’ view of humans as isolated individuals? What would a description of the individual as inextricably bound in a set of social relationships look like?

1. What does Hume mean by the phrase: "Reason is, and ought to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them (Treatise)"? What can reason do in relation to morality?

2. Put the examples about the trees and incest and conclusions offered from these examples in your own words. How does this demonstrate that reason helps to discern relations between objects but discerning relations does not determine morality? What is the point of the oak tree and incest examples? Why is it not sufficient, according to Hume, to say that parricide is immoral in people but not in trees because humans possess reason and can make choices?

3. What is the point of the willful murder example?

4. What is Hume's argument that one cannot derive an "ought" from an "is," a judgment of value from a judgment of fact? Give an example to illustrate. To put it another way, Why cannot statements of ought or ought not be derived from statements of is or is not strictly through reason? What is the difference between a fact and a value? See the excellent discussion of this by Solomon and Green on pp. 211-213.

5. Could traditional arguments (such as Aristotle's deducing from "facts about human nature conclusions about what is good and what one ought to do?) be saved with an added premise which says we ought to do what is natural?

6. What points is Hume making with his examples of surgery and the wound strings? What is the role of sympathy? How does the notion of sympathy mitigate Hume's moral skepticism?

7. Do you agree with Hume that "Morality, therefore, is more properly felt than judged of; ... " (Hume in Solomon and Greene, 208) ? Do you think there is an internal moral sense?

8. In what ways is Hume similar to Hobbes? In what ways different? Is Hobbes or Hume’s view of human nature preferable? Why?