The Human Being as Clockwork: Emotion as Endeavour

The chapter's central question

The small beginning of movement toward an object is desire (appetite), and the beginning of moving away is aversion. Good and bad become names of what each person desires or avoids, rather than absolute qualities attached to an object. Emotions are not colors that suddenly fall on the soul, but physical directions that lead from perception to action.

Read the complete essay

Hobbes was fascinated by Galileo's Mechanics in the 17th century. He saw the human body as a machine that moves like springs and gears. The heart is the pump, the nerves are the cords, and the joints are the wheels.

So what are emotions? When external light or sound hits the eyes and ears, the shock is transmitted through the brain to the heart. At this time, a very subtle movement begins within the heart, which Hobbes called 'conatus' in Latin and 'endeavor' in English.

� The movement that moves in the direction of promoting the vital beating of the heart is called 'Desire / Appetite', and the movement that suppresses the heart beating and retreats from what threatens is called 'Aversion / Fear'. All complex human emotions are ultimately just variations of these two mechanical movements of ‘approaching (attraction)’ and ‘retreating (avoidance)’.

Context and nuance

Hobbes understood humans as objects in constant motion, and explained emotions and desires as the beginning of that movement. His theory of emotions does not stop at individual psychology, but also extends to how competition, distrust, and desire for honor create political conflict and why common power is necessary.

Mechanism does not mean that human experience is meaningless. Hobbes attempted to explain everything from subtle movements to deliberation, will, and political commitment. However, the moment you connect values ​​with desires, the difficulty arises of how people can talk about the common good, and the role of law and contracts becomes important at that point.

Do not oversimplify it this way

If we were to summarize Hobbes in one sentence: ‘Man is inherently evil and selfish,’ we would lose an important part. He also acknowledges compassion, curiosity, and a desire for peace. The problem is that, in conditions where resources are limited and each other's intentions are uncertain, even rational people can be tempted to strike first.

Philosophy in life

Have you ever felt cold at night because of the fear of failure and the anxiety of falling behind?

Let go of moral self-blame: Acknowledge that ‘worrying about money and losing out in competition is not a worldly thing, but a natural engine for survival’

Primary-source guide

Primary guide: Leviathan, chapters 6, 11, 13, 14, and 17.

Pathos Editorial · Reviewed 2026-09-12