Vanity and fear of violent death. Hobbes, Hegel and phenomenology of emotions

Abstract

A comparison between three thinkers: Hobbes, Hegel and the phenomenologist Anthony Steinbock. The point of departure will be the two fundamental passions, according to Leo Strauss’ interpretation, in the political philosophy of Hobbes: vanity and fear of violent death. The structure of the comparison will be the three self-givenness emotions according to Steinbock: pride, shame and guilt. From both approaches, the moral comprehension expressed in the Hegelian Master-slave dialectic will be clarified. Finally, we will reflect on the character of the fundamental passions according to the moderns and the possibility of these to open or genuinely welcome to the Other, as opposed to Steinbock’s phenomenological approach wherein the subjectivity constitutes itself from the Other.