William of Ockham and Thomas Hobbes

Running head: HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY
HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY
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HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY
ASSIGNMENT 4:
Introduction
The paper aims to discuss the history of psychology and the contribution of William of
Ockham to it. In addition, the essay aims to provide an overview of Thomas Hobbes’ laws of
social life. In doing so, the essay will first provide a brief overview William of Ockham, his life
and teachings and then his contribution to the history of psychology. Then, the essay will talk
about Thomas Hobbes, his contribution to the social life. Lastly, the essay will provide a
discussion on the romantic revolt. In addition, it will discuss its influence on psychology.
Discussion
William of Ockham was born in Ockham, Surrey and hence the name. He was an English
Franciscan friar apart from being a scholastic philosopher (Brower-Toland, 2014). William of
Ockham was a controversial figure in the 14th century for his intellectual and political thoughts.
He is mostly known for Ockham’s razor, the practical principle that has his name and for his
works on theology, physics and logic (Charalampous, 2013).
Psychology emerged from the philosophical interest that theorists began to show on the
human mind. To understand Ockham’s contribution to psychology, it is important to know that
psychology was once a branch of philosophy and it only developed as a separate branch after the
1870s (Osborne Jr, 2014). Hence, it is clear that Ockham’s works on philosophy made massive
contributions to the field of psychology, especially moral psychology. Ockham viewed
Aristotelians’ teachings about the human nature, their will or want, to act in order to achieve the
ultimate goal of happiness or goodness. Aristotelian view was that although humans are free to
choose against or for the end but they are free to choose any means to reach that end. As

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opposed to this view, he argued that humans are free not only to choose any means to reach their
ultimate goal but they are also free to choose that goal. For instance, if humans choose evil as
their ultimate goal, they are free to do so. This makes humans morally accountable for their
actions.
The above discussion demonstrates Ockham’s thoughts on the moral psychology
although during his time, this view was more related to philosophy. He was of the view that
people could trust their senses to tell them what the world around them is like and this, they can
know directly without worrying what the world beyond their experience would be like. Ockham
believed that the mind normally responds to similar objects in a similar way and this is the way,
it classifies experience.
Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher born during the 16th century, is considered one
of the pioneers of modern philosophy especially political philosophy. He is most renowned for
his social contract theory in which, he had laid down the laws of nature. According to the social
contract theory, humans should give up some of their freedom to the political power in order to
gain security and protection of their rights and freedom.
In chapter 14 of the Leviathan, the most famous book where the theory first appeared,
Hobbes introduced his laws of nature (Watkins, 2017). Although there were nineteen laws in all
described by Hobbes, the first two hold the most prominence. As per the first law, each
individual must endeavor peace when it is possible but she or he must engage in war if there is
absence of peace. The second law states that people should be willing to shift their natural right
to all effects in the nature’s position to an autonomous power. This is the law that formed the
basis of the social contract theory. The law further states that the people should give up their

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rights to the sovereign power when others too are willing to do it, for the sake of their protection
and peace.
Later in chapter 15, Hobbes lays down the other laws of nature. One law states that
people should keep their contract within their own power until there is one common power to
enforce these contracts (Strauss, 2017). Another law instructs that people must pardon the past
offences or mistakes of others who repent those mistakes or offences. As per another law stated
by Hobbes, people must treat others without any bias while they judge any dispute or
wrongdoing. All these laws put forth by Hobbes were of much debate and controversy especially
in the coming years because as time passed, the powers of the sovereign were challenged by the
powers of the people.
The Romantic revolt came around as a rejection of the texts during the Age of Reason
that were burdened with instructions for the readers to follow in terms of living their lives,
thinking, acting and behaving (Cranston, & Cranston, 1994). The revolt was a literary movement
during the Romantic period when works like Common Sense by Thomas Paine spoke openly
about freedom for the thirteen British colonies during the 1770s. The Romantics were unhappy
being instructed what to think and their works reflected this thought. They encouraged feeling
and intuition, the significance of imagination and influence of natural elements through their
works.
Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, the two significant poets of the Romantic period
wrote poems that highlighted the importance of intuition and imagination. The Romantics, in
general, revolted against the stress on rationality and reason and instead, gave importance to
emotions (Gerhardt, 2014).