Hobbes

Bill Watterson created the comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes.” Calvin takes on the role of creative, idealistic boy with a narrow view of the world. Hobbes, his stuffed tiger that comes to imaginary life, is based on Thomas Hobbes. Watterson makes a strong case for thought with the following: “When Hobbes is a stuffed toy in one panel and alive in the next, I'm juxtaposing the "grown-up" version of reality with Calvin's version, and inviting the reader to decide which is truer.” The real Hobbes gives us such a strikingly downer, yet valid view of the world. Trigg says that Hobbes even ‘attack the objectivity of value.’ It makes me question whether Hobbes is perhaps reconciling his observations of the world with what he believes the world should be. Does Hobbes truly hold other humans in such deep contempt for riding armed, or locking their doors? He will even argue man’s resentment of his own children by the act of ‘lock(ing) his chest.’ I lock my doors for a myriad of reasons, many of which I can’t specifically think of. It’s not because I don’t trust mankind, I just don’t trust the person who would break into my house. A small number of people who would act immorally is hardly grounds to project that same tendency on everyone.