In this Book
- Thomas Hobbes and Political Theory
- 1990
- Book
- Published by: University Press of Kansas

summary
This volume explores, from a variety of perspectives, the political theory of the man who is arguably the greatest English political thinker. It is the first substantial collection of new, critical essays on Thomas Hobbes by leading scholars in over a decade.
Hobbes’s writings stirred debate in his own lifetime, for two centuries thereafter, and continue to do so in ours. They emerged in a period of intense political turmoil—a time of civil war and regicide, of puritanical rule and royal restoration. “They were motivated,” Dietz argues, “by concrete political problems and a practical concern, namely, to secure political order, absolute sovereignty, and civil peace.” The contributors emphasize and answer a series of expressly political questions that, to date, have not been fully addressed in the Hobbes literature. They contend that Hobbes’s writings are not mere static artifacts of a particular historical milieu, but rather rich sources of a variety of interpretations and criticisms that spur discussion and debate in their turn.
Hobbes’s writings stirred debate in his own lifetime, for two centuries thereafter, and continue to do so in ours. They emerged in a period of intense political turmoil—a time of civil war and regicide, of puritanical rule and royal restoration. “They were motivated,” Dietz argues, “by concrete political problems and a practical concern, namely, to secure political order, absolute sovereignty, and civil peace.” The contributors emphasize and answer a series of expressly political questions that, to date, have not been fully addressed in the Hobbes literature. They contend that Hobbes’s writings are not mere static artifacts of a particular historical milieu, but rather rich sources of a variety of interpretations and criticisms that spur discussion and debate in their turn.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- pp. vii-viii
- Kansas Open Books Preface
- pp. ix-xviii
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xix-xx
- 1. Introduction
- pp. 1-8
- 6. Hobbes's Subject as Citizen
- pp. 91-119
- 7. Political Psychology in Hobbes's Behemoth
- pp. 120-152
- 8. Hobbes and Locke on Toleration
- pp. 153-171
- The Contributors
- pp. 197-198
Additional Information
ISBN
9780700630844
Related ISBN(s)
9780700605194
MARC Record
OCLC
1227264826
Pages
222
Launched on MUSE
2020-12-22
Language
English
Open Access
Yes