Tuesday, June 10, 2003

Is it better to be Hobbesian or Calvinist?

With apologies to this Volokh conspirator, on the lesser and greater meanings, spellings, and pronounciations of the term "Hobbesian choice," I cannot get out of my mind one of my favorite Howard Bashman posts, which says "a Hobbesian choice is the kind of choice that Hobbes faced when playing 'Calvinball' --a game with 'rules' that essentially provide that there are no rules."

An example of "Calvinball" is here, although the adventures of Spaceman Spiff (such as this one) are also Hobbesian in some sense.

Since it only took me ten years to learn of this meaning of Hobbesean, I predict that as long as Hobbes is studied, likewise Calvin will be studied.

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