Religion, Politics and Thomas Hobbes

ISBN-13: 9789048171323 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 358 str.

George Wright

Opis

The essaysthat comprise thisvolume were written over the period of some ten years, for different purposes and on different occasions, but they are unitedby a number of features, which this preface may serve to indicate. While the collection begins with a translation drawn from the fourth p- sentation of Hobbes s political thought, namely, the Latin Leviathan of 1668, after The Elements of Law (1640), De Cive (1642 and 1647) and the English Leviathan of 1651, the focus of the essays is largely on theEnglish version of his masterpiece of political philosophy. It isthe center of gravityinthe twenty eight years spanninghis departure from England for exile in France in 1640 till the publication in 1668 of the Latin Leviathan, withits lengthy and c- plex Appendix. The translation andintroduction of theAppendix, previously published, appears here with several revisions and additions, as does the essay Thomas Hobbes and the EconomicTrinity. A second feature common to these essays isthe deliberate attempttomake sense of thereligious elements inHobbes s thought, bothintheir own rightand inrelation to his politics and natural science. These themes are woven together in complex ways. For instance, objecting to the use of Greek philosophic language and concepts to interpret the doctrines of the Christian religion, he propounds what he takes to be a more thoroughly scriptural interpretation, in pursuit of the goal of demolishing the basis for anypower inthe state independent of thecivil sovereign."

Spis treści

Preface.- Acknowledgements.- Introduction to the 1668 Appendix.- Appendix to Leviathan. On the Nicene Creed. On Heresy. Concerning Certain Objections to Leviathan. Hobbes and the Economic Trinity.- The Haunting of Thomas Hobbes.- Hobbes in Exile.- Afterword.- Bibliography.- Index of Subjects.- Index of Names.

O autorze

George Wright is a psychologist with an interest in the role and validity of judgment in decision making and forecasting. He is especially interested in the use of management science- and behaviorally-based methods to improve decision-making. He has published in key journals, and is the Editor of the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making. He has consulted with firms such as IBM, ICL, NEC, Petronas, Jordan Ministry of Planning, and the Scottish Football Association.