Hobbes’ Argument

Hobbes’ Argument

Read the lecture notes on the Dobe !Kung and Chapters 2 and 8 in Spradley and McCurdy, which deal with the same society. Then answer this question:
In the early 1600s, the English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes described life before the development of “civilization” as “nasty, brutish, and short.” By this, he meant that people’s lives were violent, characterized by warfare, and marked by suffering and deprivation. This characterization has become commonplace in the views of people in the industrialized world about small-scale societies. Hobbes himself never traveled outside of Europe or met a hunter-gatherer. But by his description, he would obviously include hunter-gatherer peoples such as the !Kung. Using the evidence gathered by Richard Lee, evaluate Hobbes’ argument.

Lecture notes have been provided. The writer can search the notes for when the professor talks about !Kung