Intellectual Strength In Thomas Hobbes 'Hunger Games'

414 Words1 Page

From this comes the first of the Hobbes argument that when we have the sort of rough equality in physical and intellectual strength, there is an equality of hope in attaining our ends. Hobbes thinks that part of what we do in a social contract is to try and overcome our human tendencies, which are competition, diffidence and glory. For instance, “competition arises because two people may want the same thing, which they cannot both have, perhaps, the produce of a certain field, sufficient to support one person through the winter but not two(xiii,3), as according to Hobbes. After all, that is what mainly takes place in the book “Hunger Games”, where contestants from varying districts compete for their lives so they can survive. This will be followed

Show More
Related

  • The Hunger Games: Annotated Bibliography

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    Yamato, Jen. Burning Questions.“The Hunger Games and Real World Parallels: “Can kids all become Katniss Everdeen”. Movie Line. March 13, 2012. Web. May 04, 2012

    Read More

  • Tricksters Are Among Us: Haymitch Abernathy

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dunn, George A., Nicolas Michaud, and Dereck Coatney. The Hunger games and philosophy: A critique of pure treason. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. page 179.

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games Philosophy Analysis

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Gary Ross’ 2012 adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ famous novel ‘The Hunger Games’ exploded on screens, it was received as an action-packed, thrilling story of survival, determination and over-coming corruption. Audience’s watched in equal parts awe and horror as Katniss was thrust into Panem’s battle arena and fought for justice, family and friendship. However, if we as an audience think more critically about the film; if we think beyond the wild costumes, gripping action and skilful performances, we can see that the story explores complex philosophical ideas that strongly relate to the experiences of humanity in the real world.

    Read More

  • Happiness And Happiness In Huck Finn By Mark Twain

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Individuals would rival each other on the premise of the standards set by society, such as grades, appearances, wealth, or even popularity. Unable to see how society defines success in a way which individuals stay in an endless void of achieving further unnecessary and materialistic objects, individuals would never truly have satisfaction with the amount of the disillusion of success they achieve. Thereby, society prevents individuals from reaching their true happiness, success, and potential. To extend Mark Twain’s argument of the foolish acts, Critic Larzer Ziff establishes how the “unhealthy and unnatural competition,” resulting from social standards would also harm the civilization: “... those with the worst and most dangerous qualities rise to the top” (Ziff 208). From their influences towards individuals, society steers them to harm and to compete against one another in order to gain a temporary happiness, thus sees an increase in the numbers of detrimental individuals in a civilization, and, inevitably, the civilization will eventually collapse as

    Read More

  • Comparative Essay: The Hunger Games

    194 Words  | 1 Pages

    In both books they share some traits, even though they may not look anything alike they are. both of these novels are dystopian novels and many characters share similarity’s.

    Read More

  • Force, Morality and Rights in Thomas Hobbes and John Locke's Social Contract Theories

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his famous writing, “The Leviathan”, Thomas Hobbes explains that the natural condition of mankind is when a society lives together without the rule of a common authority or power; this creates a “dog-eat-dog” world in which the citizens live in a perpetual state of utter chaos and fear. The fears experienced by the citizens are not only of the unequal distribution of the power of others, but also fear of the loss of their own power. In Hobbes’ state of nature there is complete liberty for society in the idea that each member may do whatever he or she pleases without having to worry about infringing upon the rights of the rest of society; in other words, one is allowed to do whatever necessary to pursue their own happiness. Ho...

    Read More

  • Themes In The Hunger Games

    1603 Words  | 4 Pages

    The main contrast between social classes, or in the case of the book, the wealthy and those suffering from poverty is shown. Wealth and the lack of it determines the fate of those living in the twelve districts. The amount of wealth a district has determines what privileges that district as a whole, as well as the people living in a district. Only the poorer districts are forced to participate in the violent and deadly games while district one get trained for fame. For these unfortunate people, the games are a matter of survival. Members of the wealthier districts, such as citizens of the Capitol are exempt from choosing participants from their district to fight in the games. Instead, they sit back and attend the games as a source of entertainment. They feel no empathy for those from the poorer districts who are suffering as a result of their poverty and lack of resources. The districts who normally win the games are rewarded with a regular supply of much needed necessities. Other districts, like Katniss 's District 12, who are not winners, are constantly faced with shortages of food and supplies. This could be taken

    Read More

  • Hobbes State Of Nature Analysis

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hobbes describes the State of Nature as a state where all men are equal, since one individual can kill another individual. With this state of inequality, he claims that this equality has an “equality of hope” in accomplishing one’s ends. If two men seek the same end, and only one can have it, the two men would be enemies and would seek to “destroy or subdue one another” (Hobbes 1651, 2). Hobbes goes further to claim that men are not obliged in “keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all” (Hobbes 1651, 2).

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Plato's 'The Republic And Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan

    1376 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Hobbes, self-preservation is the predominant desire of man. People are compelled to cooperate with another when their survival is at stake. Hobbes acknowledges that, while some men may be physically stronger than others, “the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself” (Hobbes, 158). Weaker men must come together to defeat stronger men in order to preserve their own lives. People want to live comfortably, and they do not want to die. Such desires, according to Hobbes, are driving forces for peace, and help to maintain some sort of order within the state of

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes And John Locke: Social Contract Theories

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thus it is show that amid the time men live without a typical force to keep every one of them in wonder, they are in a condition which is called war; and such a war as is of each man against each man. (Hobbes 2008, p.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Dystopia In The Film 'The Truman Show'

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both texts demonstrate the influence that hope has on an oppressed society which accompanies destabilisation of superior powers. Hope in both narratives is expressed as the pinnacle of human nature and an intrinsic part of any society. However, although these traits are recognised by the leaders in both texts, both also understand that hope must be contained in order to ensure that an uprising does not occur. President Snow, in ‘The Hunger Games’, enforces the Hunger Games to

    Read More

  • Political Theory Of Thomas Hobbes

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    It states “And therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies; and in the way to their end, which is principally their own conservation, and sometimes their delectation only, endeavor to destroy or subdue one another." This thought springs upon a touchy subject in the world then, and even today. That subject is the aspects of human conflict. Conflict is something we all must have. Without this, we would never have the statue of liberty, and blacks’ rights, and even in that time, it was important. Thomas Hobbes completely believes against war and conflict. Although, he turns arounds and says that any man will fight for what they desire. I believe that not all men are violent men, and based on the personality and judgement of that individual man, is how he should have perceived men. Some men would rather not fight to achieve their goals, they would find an alternative, more rational

    Read More

  • Rousseau Theory Of Social Contract

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    To better understand how Thomas Hobbes conceived his notion of the social contract in Leviathan (1651) one must closely examine Hobbes’ form of the state of nature. For Hobbes it was necessary to strip back human society to realise how our human nature

    Read More

  • Competition Is Not Good For People

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...etition makes it difficult to regard others as potential friends or collaborators; even if one is not a rival today, one could be tomorrow. The first step to achieving of being happy and healthy is recognizing the value of competition is built on myths. Just because forcing children to try to outdo one another is counterproductive doesn't mean they can't keep track of how they're doing. There's no problem with comparing their achievements to an objective standard or to how they did yesterday or last year. But if the people value their children's intellectual development, they need to realize that turning learning into a race simply doesn't work. By definition, not everyone can win a contest. If one child wins, another cannot. This means that each child comes to regard others as obstacles to his or her own success and this is why competition is not good for people.

    Read More

  • Marxism In The Hunger Games

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Karl Marx was a polarizing figure of the mid-19th century whose writings remain relevant today. Some of his main ideas include the relationship between the workforce and the ‘ruling class’ which owns the means of production. Marx refers to the working class as the proletariat and the ruling class as the bourgeoisie. Themes of Marx can be found today in popular culture, namely in books and movies. One example of this is the series The Hunger Games, which correlates with many of Marx’s ideas and writings.

    Read More

More about Intellectual Strength In Thomas Hobbes 'Hunger Games'

Open Document