more from Baruch de Spinoza

Single Idea 7412

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 3. Natural Values / c. Natural rights]

Full Idea

It was Spinoza who extended the idea of natural rights to cover all possible desires and actions, and he did so knowing that he was transforming Hobbes's theory.

Gist of Idea

Spinoza extended Hobbes's natural rights to cover all possible desires and actions

Source

report of Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675]) by Richard Tuck - Hobbes Ch.2

Book Reference

Tuck,Richard: 'Hobbes: a very short introduction' [OUP 2002], p.126


A Reaction

Hobbes had stuck to self-preservation. His problem was how to draw a line, saying that was a natural right, but there wasn't a natural right to a good bottle of claret. Spinoza's drastic solutions suggests that the whole approach is wrong.