On Counsel
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Text length: 1,775 words
Excerpts from Chapter 25 of Leviathan
By Thomas Hobbes
, 1651
Contributed by Holger Gottstein and Ulrich Blessing
Images used by courtesy of the Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin
Advice and orders are clearly differentiated - orders are to the advantage of the one commanding, whereas advice benefits the recipient and cannot be forced upon him
A good advisor - shares the interests of the advice seeker, states advice concisely and clearly, is familiar with the advice seeker's affairs and the matter at hand
Good advice appeals to reason - passionate displays and convoluted explanations are inappropriate and suggest motives other than delivering sound, beneficial advice
Keywords:
Counsel, command, advice, advisor, governance, communication, conflict of interest, leadership, passion, reason, consulting, experience, expertise, honesty
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Receiving counsel
[S]upposing the number of counsellors equal, a man is better counselled by hearing them apart than in an assembly; and that for many causes. First, in hearing them apart, you have the advice of every man; but in an assembly many of them deliver their advice with aye or no, or with their hands or feet, not moved by their own sense, but by the eloquence of another, or for fear of displeasing some that have spoken, or the whole by contradiction, or for fear of appearing duller in apprehension than those that have applauded the contrary opinion. Secondly, in an assembly of many there cannot choose but be some interests are contrary to that of the public; and these their interests make passionate, and passion eloquent, and eloquence draws others into the same advice. For the passions of men, which asunder are moderate, as the heat of one brand; in assembly are like many brands that inflame one another (especially when they blow one another with orations) to the setting of the Commonwealth on fire, under pretence of counselling it...
A man that doth his business by the help of many prudent counsellors, with every one consulting apart in his proper element, does it best; as he that useth able seconds at tennis play, placed in their proper stations. He does next best that useth his own judgement only; as he that has no second at all. But he that is carried up and down to his business in a framed counsel, which cannot move but by the plurality of consenting opinions, the execution whereof is commonly, out of envy or interest, retarded by the part dissenting, does it worst of all, and like one that is carried to the ball, though by good players, yet in a wheelbarrow, or other frame, heavy of itself, and retarded by the also by the inconcurrent judgements and endeavours of them that drive it; and so much the more, as they be more that set their hands to it; and most of all, when there is one or more amongst them that desire to have him lose. And though it be true that many eyes see more than one, yet it is not to be understood of many counsellors, but then only when the final resolution is in one man...
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