Description
Book SynopsisThomas Hobbes was the first great English political philosopher. His work excited intense controversy among his contemporaries and continues to do so in our own time.
Trade Review"The present reviewer is very enthusiastic about this book. It should be recommended to all those that are looking for an understandable and thorough introduction to the moral and political theories of Hobbes."
Ethical Perspectives"A sympathetic reading that will be valuable for those interested in Hobbes' enduring philosophical relevance."
Political Studies Review "Gert succeeds in clarifying the important parts of Hobbes' philosophy ... Experts will welcome this book as a collection of ideas from an influential authority on Hobbes."
Tijdschrift voor Filosofie
"Bernard Gert's book provides beginning students with an outstanding introduction to the main philosophical concepts and interpretive debates needed for understanding Hobbes's philosophy. Gert puts Hobbes's works into historical context, plausibly explains his motives, and offers a critical yet constructive account of his moral and political philosophies. Gert's is a model of clarity and thoughtful scholarship."
Sharon Lloyd, University of Southern California
"Bernard Gert has here produced the new standard interpretation of Hobbes's philosophy. The writing throughout is completely accessible to readers working even at the most elementary level of philosophy, ethics, or political science. Nonetheless, philosophers will like it for its precision and careful analyses of controversial topics; non-philosophers for its clarity and its ability to supplement the original without loss of content. This is THE book on Hobbes for the coming generation."
Stefan Baumrin, City University of New York Graduate Center
"Hobbes: Prince of Peace, by Bernard Gert, is the long-awaited product of his 45 years of immersion in the Hobbes corpus. In it, Gert he weaves together the many threads of Hobbes's theory into a single comprehensive account. Showing that readers shouldn't always take what Hobbes writes completely literally, Gert argues for an innovative reading of Hobbes's view on the interrelation between key concepts, such as reason, the laws of nature, and the moral law, and for recognizing distinctions that have heretofore been overlooked. This provocative book will surely be an important touchstone for Hobbes scholarship in the future."
Rosamond Rhodes, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Table of ContentsPreface.
Chapter 1: Hobbes's Life, Times, and General Philosophical Views.
Chapter 2: Human Nature.
Chapter 3: Hobbes's Moral Theory.
Chapter 4: Hobbes's Political Theory.
Chapter 5: After Hobbes.
Bibliography.
