Behemoth, or The Long Parliament is essential to any reader interested
in the historical context of the thought of Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679).
In De Cive (1642) and Leviathan (1651), the great political
philosopher had developed an analytical framework for discussing
sedition, rebellion, and the breakdown of authority. Behemoth,
completed around 1668 and not published until after Hobbe's death,
represents the systematic application of this framework to the English
Civil War. In his insightful and substantial Introduction, Stephen
Holmes examines the major themes and implications of Behemoth in
Hobbes's system of thought. Holmes notes that a fresh consideration of
Behemoth dispels persistent misreadings of Hobbes, including the idea
that man is motivated solely by a desire for self-preservation.
Behemoth, which is cast as a series of dialogues between a teacher and
his pupil, locates the principal cause of the Civil War less in
economic interests than in the stubborn irrationality of key actors.
It also shows more vividly than any of Hobbe's other works the
importance of religion in his theories of human nature and behavior.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226229843
Publisert
2018
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter