+612 9045 4394
Paperback
View Product
Published: 14th August 2007Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was the first great English philosopher and one of the most important theorists of human nature and politics in the history of Western thought.
This superlative introduction explains Hobbes's main doctrines and arguments, covering all of Hobbes's philosophy. A.P.Martinich begins with a helpful overview of Hobbes's life and work, setting his ideas against the political and scientific background seventeenth century England. He then introduces and assesses, in clear chapters, Hobbes's contributions to fundamental areas of philosophy:
* Epistemology and metaphysics, in particular Hobbes's materialism and determinism and his relation to Descartes
* Ethics and political philosophy, concentrating on Hobbes's most famous work, Leviathan and the theory of the social contract it advances
* Philosophy of science, logic and language, considering Hobbes's theory of nominalism and his writing on rhetoric and the uses of language;
* Religion, examining Hobbes's analyses of revelation, prophets and miracles.
The final chapter considers the legacy of Hobbes's thought and his influence on contemporary philosophy.
Additional features
* Chapter summaries
* Annotated further reading
'In short, this is a fine and authoritative study by an acknowledged master of his subject. No serious student of Hobbes or early modern philosophy should ignore this book.' - Paul Kelly, London School of Economics
'This is an excellent book, well-suited to the Routledge Philosophers series. It is clearly and accessibly written, comprehensive, up-to-date on current scholarship, well-organised and often humorous. I think undergraduates will find the book both readable and enjoyable. Teachers will find it very helpful.' - S.A. Lloyd, University of Southern California
| Figures | p. x |
| Preface | p. xi |
| Acknowledgements | p. xii |
| Abbreviations | p. xiii |
| Chronology | p. xiv |
| Life | p. 1 |
| The Return of the Native | p. 1 |
| Early Life | p. 4 |
| Science and International Relations | p. 7 |
| Political Views | p. 15 |
| Religious, Mathematical, and Scientific Disputes | p. 18 |
| Further Reading | p. 23 |
| Metaphysics and Mind | p. 24 |
| Materialism | p. 24 |
| Conatus | p. 28 |
| Mechanism | p. 30 |
| Determinism | p. 31 |
| Mind | p. 33 |
| Sensation | p. 33 |
| Imagination | p. 35 |
| Mental Discourse | p. 37 |
| Desire, Appetite, Aversion | p. 38 |
| The Importance of Desires | p. 44 |
| Free Will | p. 47 |
| Conclusion | p. 53 |
| Further Reading | p. 53 |
| Moral Philosophy | p. 54 |
| Moral and Political Philosophy | p. 54 |
| Good and Evil | p. 57 |
| The State of Nature | p. 63 |
| Equality | p. 65 |
| The Right of Nature | p. 77 |
| Liberty | p. 79 |
| The Definition of the Law of Nature | p. 80 |
| The Deduction of the Laws of Nature | p. 86 |
| Laws and Propositional Form | p. 97 |
| Other Laws of Nature | p. 98 |
| When Do the Laws Apply? | p. 100 |
| Eternal Natural Laws | p. 100 |
| The Fool | p. 101 |
| Conclusion | p. 105 |
| Further Reading | p. 106 |
| Political Philosophy | p. 107 |
| The Origin of a Commonwealth | p. 107 |
| Persons | p. 112 |
| Authorization and Alienation | p. 115 |
| Sovereignty by Acquisition | p. 125 |
| The Properties of a Sovereign | p. 128 |
| Political Liberty | p. 131 |
| The Dissolution of the Commonwealth | p. 132 |
| The Value of Hobbes's Philosophy | p. 135 |
| Conclusion | p. 136 |
| Further Reading | p. 136 |
| Language, Logic, and Science | p. 137 |
| The Basic Units of Language | p. 137 |
| Names | p. 141 |
| Signification and Denotation | p. 144 |
| Speech Acts | p. 146 |
| Definitions | p. 147 |
| Necessary and Contingent Propositions | p. 150 |
| The Value of Philosophy | p. 151 |
| The Scope and Definition of Philosophy | p. 153 |
| The Unity of Science | p. 172 |
| Conclusion | p. 174 |
| Further Reading | p. 175 |
| Religion | p. 176 |
| Cultural Context and Religious Beliefs | p. 176 |
| Revelation, Prophets, and Miracles | p. 179 |
| Faith | p. 185 |
| Religion, Superstition, and True Religion | p. 187 |
| The Causes of Religion | p. 191 |
| The Causes of the Decline of Religion | p. 198 |
| The Nature of God and Language about Him | p. 200 |
| Conclusion | p. 206 |
| Further Reading | p. 207 |
| Hobbes Today | p. 208 |
| Scholarship before 1975 | p. 208 |
| Scholarship after 1975 | p. 214 |
| Conclusion | p. 235 |
| Further Reading | p. 237 |
| Glossary | p. 238 |
| Notes | p. 240 |
| Bibliography | p. 248 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780415283281
ISBN-10: 0415283280
Series: The Routledge Philosophers
Audience:
Tertiary; University or College
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 266
Published: 3rd May 2005
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Country of Publication: GB
Dimensions (cm): 21.6 x 13.6
x 1.5
Weight (kg): 0.42
Edition Number: 1
