Thomas Hobbes and Political Theory

This volume explores, from a variety of perspectives, the political theory of the man who is arguably the greatest English political thinker. It is a collection of new, critical essays on Thomas Hobbes by leading scholars in over a decade. Hobbes' 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' 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.