This major study of Hobbes's political philosophy draws on recent developments in game and decision theory to explore whether the thrust of the argument in Leviathan, that it is in the interests of the people to create a ruler with absolute power, can be shown to be cogent. Professor Hampton has written a book of vital importance to political philosophers, political and social scientists, and intellectual historians.
This major study of Hobbes's political philosophy draws on recent developments in game and decision theory to explore whether the thrust of the argume...
This book focuses on the degree to which certain moral and legal doctrines are rooted in specific passions that are then institutionalized in the form of criminal law. A philosophical analysis is developed of the following questions: When, if ever, should hatred be overcome by sympathy or compassion? What are forgiveness and mercy and to what degree do they require--both conceptually and morally--the overcoming of certain passions and the motivation by other passions? If forgiveness and mercy indeed are moral virtues, what role, if any, should they play in the law?
This book focuses on the degree to which certain moral and legal doctrines are rooted in specific passions that are then institutionalized in the form...
This challenging and provocative book argues against much contemporary orthodoxy in philosophy and the social sciences by showing why objectivity in the domain of ethics is really no different from the objectivity of scientific knowledge. In the course of the book Jean Hampton examines moral realism, the general nature of reason and norms, internalism and externalism, instrumental reasoning, and the expected utility model of practical reasoning. The book should prove to be a seminal work in the theory of rationality that will be read by a broad swathe of philosophers and social scientists.
This challenging and provocative book argues against much contemporary orthodoxy in philosophy and the social sciences by showing why objectivity in t...
Political philosophy, perhaps even more than other branches of philosophy, calls for constant renewal to reflect not just re-readings of the tradition but also the demands of current events. In this lively and readable survey, Jean Hampton has created a text for our time that does justice both to the great traditions of the field and to the newest developments. In a marvelous feat of synthesis, she links the classical tradition, the giants of the modern period, the dominant topics of the twentieth century, and the new questions and concerns that are just beginning to rewrite contemporary...
Political philosophy, perhaps even more than other branches of philosophy, calls for constant renewal to reflect not just re-readings of the tradition...