A Conversation between Vaclav Havel, Thomas Hobbes and John Lock on Essay

A Conversation between Vaclav Havel, Thomas Hobbes and John Lock on the Idea of Liberty - Essay Example That these inalienable rights come from god but at the same time destroy him. HAVEL: not necessarily destroy him, but at least to change our view of what he is. That is what I mean by talking about the Anthropic Cosmological Principal. HOBBES: Ah yes, the idea that the universe . . . . What is that word you used HAVEL: Evolved. HOBBES: And I assume from the context that it means how the universe came about - you are suggesting that it developed over time HAVEL: Exactly. HOBBES; The Bible says it was created in seven days. LOCKE: Or rather seven units of time - we are not entirely sure of the translation, surely you know that. HOBBES: But the Bible is infallible . . . HAVEL: Gentlemen, gentlemen, it is difficult enough to talk about politics on its won, with getting into the territory of politics and religion. (All three men laugh) HOBBES: But seriously, your whole speech seemed to be heading in that direction. The idea of this self-transcendence - that all human beings are somehow linked to the universe by being reflected in it. The idea that of all the possible universes that God might have created, He chose this one . . . LOCKE: Or evolved, I like the idea of that. I must read more about it. HOBBES: Evolved then. That this one evolved rather than all the . . . LOCKE: I feel, thinking about it, that the two are not mutually exclusive. HOBBES: Meaning LOCKE: This Enlightenment that I am said to have created in England, it was based upon the idea of science, that things could be explained but that did not necessarily suggest that God does not exist. It merely showed how wonderful His universe is. HAVEL: That's exactly the point. It doesn't really matter whether God exists or not . . . HOBBES; I must protest. HAVEL: All that matters is that we are anchored on.... . LOCKE: This Enlightenment that I am said to have created in England, it was based upon the idea of science, that things could be explained but that did not necessarily suggest that God does not exist. It merely showed how wonderful His universe is. HAVEL: True. This photograph, it was published in newspapers all over the world and showed people how very small the world is, how we are lost in the blackness of space and how we should stop our present course of constant wars. HOBBES: Of course not: the individual will look at this photograph and then forget about it in the next moment. Most people are only concerned with their immediate life: their family, friends, job, getting food on the table. They don't have the time for this kind of thing. HOBBES: Exactly. And at the end of your speech you said (taking a copy of it from his pocket) "yes, the only real hope of people today is probably a renewal of our certainty that we are rooted in the earth and, at the same time, in the cosmos." I think that seems to say that your modern philosopher was right when he said, "only a God can save us now."