Opening Hart's Concept of Law

Abstract

It has been said that philosophy is a quest for the "beginnings" of things. In our psychological age, it may not be surprising to discover that originary images of man confront the philosopher's backward glance. Yet, the changes in such images from classical to modern times are not without a curious irony. For from Aristotle's grounding of ethical theory in the final good embodied in man's transcendent nature, we rudely encounter Hobbes' hard, modern vision. In the Hobbesian psychology, man is riddled by fear of violent death and ruled by an unquenchable passion to dominate his fellows.