Thomas Hobbes, a famous philosopher of the 16th century, is said to have declared that with the primitive people of the past, there was a continual fear and danger of violent death, and that the life of man was "solitary, poor, brutish, and short." In his famous worth, the Leviathan, Hobbes forms a profound opinion of the primitive people of both the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages. Hobbes, being a political philosopher, believed the creation of state allowed man to be conditioned in a civilized way. Hence, if man was not part of a state than he was in the state of manner, which was "solitary, poor, brutish and short" (Leviathan website). Although Hobbes" outlook may not be completely accurate, it does hold true to some extent. His opinion holds more truth for the Paleolithic Age than the Neolithic Age because the lives of the people changed and advanced significantly from the Old to New Stone Age. The Neolithic period progressed toward a civilization as people began settle into communities. Both of the ages were marvelous periods of history, as they provided a foundation from which civilization emerged, and so its people lived rather difficult lives compared to what we know today. There are many examples that can be cited to both uphold and negate Hobbes" opinion of the new humans. Although the primitive people's lives may have difficult physically, it does not ensure that they were discontent with the spirit and joy of life.
The Paleolithic Age, also known as the Old Stone Age, occurred before the Neolithic Age, or New Stone Age. The humans of the Paleolithic Age probably lived a more unstable life than their descendents because they were wanderers. Paleolithic groups wandered and migrated in order to gather and hunt for sufficient food. Groups moved with the season and carried their belongings, whether it be children or simple tools, with them (Hollister xl). Life may have been simpler than today, but it was certainly unpredictable and difficult.
