Course Summary
Join Dr Douglas Adeney to consider some key ideas in Machiavelli’s The Prince and Hobbes’ Leviathan. Machiavelli holds that the ruler must learn ‘how not to be virtuous’, while Hobbes is known for his grim picture of the ‘state of nature’, and the challenging lessons he draws from it. Excerpts and notes will be provided.
Doug lectured in philosophy for many years at Melbourne State College and the University of Melbourne. Since 2011 he has greatly enjoyed teaching numerous CAE philosophy courses. A non-academic friend of his was once asked by his wife what Doug did for a living. On hearing that he was a philosopher, she said ‘Oooh, he must be very intelligent… Or is he just weird?’ Come and decide for yourself.