Hobbes: A Guide for the Perplexed

by Finn, Stephen J.

• ISBN13: 9780826488374
• ISBN10: 0826488374
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-05-03
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

An undergraduate's guide to Thomas Hobbes - one of the foremost British philosophers and a staple of any philosophy degree course - providing clear and detailed interpretation and exploration of his work

Table of Contents

Preface : interpretation and enquiry
Introduction to Hobbes and the basics of interpretation and enquiry	p. 1
Section I summary : Hobbes's life and philosophy	p. 2
Section II interpretation : the basics of philosophical interpretation	p. 9
Section III enquiry : the basics of philosophical enquiry	p. 13
Hobbes's epistemology	p. 18
Section I summary : Hobbes's epistemology	p. 19
Section II interpretation : what is Hobbes's theory of truth?	p. 30
Section III : enquiry : what is the nature of truth?	p. 37
Hobbes's metaphysics	p. 43
Section I summary : Hobbes's metaphysics	p. 44
Section II interpretation : is Hobbes a psychological or tautological egoist?	p. 51
Section III enquiry : what is the nature of the mind?	p. 57
Hobbes's moral philosophy	p. 62
Section I summary : Hobbes's moral philosophy	p. 63
Section II interpretation : are Hobbes's laws of nature prudential precepts or moral obligations?	p. 74
Section III enquiry : do moral laws exist in the state of nature?	p. 80
Hobbes's political philosophy	p. 85
Section I summary : Hobbes's political philosophy	p. 86
Section II interpretation : does Hobbes implicitly accept a limited sovereign?	p. 98
Section III enquiry : which liberty-limiting principles are justified?	p. 102
Hobbes's philosophy of religion	p. 107
Section I summary : Hobbes's philosophy of religion	p. 108
Section II interpretation : does god play a central role in Hobbes's philosophy?	p. 117
Section III enquiry : why does God allow evil to exist?	p. 122
Conclusion	p. 125
Section I summary : connections among the interpretative questions	p. 126
Section II interpretation : do the various branches of Hobbes's philosophy constitute a unified system?	p. 128
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.