Human Nature by Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes was the first great philosopher to write in English. His account of the human condition, first developed in "The Elements of Law" (1640) comprises "Human Nature" and "De Corpore Politico", is a direct product of the intellectual and political strife of the 17th century. It is also a remarkably penetrating look at human nature, and a permanently relevant analysis of the fears and self-seeking that result in the war of "each against every man". In "The Elements of Law" Hobbes memorably sets out both the main lines of his general philosophy, later augmented in "De Corpore" (1655), and the moral and political philosophy later made famous in "Leviathan" (1651). Copies of "Human Nature" and "De Corpore Politico", until 1889 printed as seperate works, are rare antiques or scarcely less rare scholarly texts - this is the first complete popular edition. It is here supplemented by chapters from "De Corpore" and "Three Lives", two texts from Hobbes's original Latin. These have never before been published together in English. This volume should be of interest to undergraduate students of philosophy, politics and political history, especially relevant to the 17th century. J.C.A. Gaskin is the editor of "Dialogue Concerning Natural Religion" and "The Natural History of Religion".
THOMAS HOBBES was born the son of a cleric on April 5, 1588, in the town of Malmesbury in the county of Wiltshire, England. He was schooled in the Scholastic tradition at Oxford, and from the time he received his bachelor of arts degree in 1607, Hobbes served as a private tutor to various wealthy nobles in England and France. This career offered him access to well-stocked libraries and provided the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. During the next forty years, Hobbes would meet such famous people as Galileo, Descartes, and Gassendi, whose ideas were to influence him greatly. In 1640, during one of the many periods of political turmoil he was to witness, Hobbes wrote a short work on the Elements of Law, Natural and Politique, which supported absolute monarchy. When the political tide turned in favor of the anti-royalists, Hobbes escaped to Paris. While there, he was to write De cive in 1642, a work that expanded his political theory. When Civil War broke out in England, Hobbes sought to bring his political philosophy to the English audience with the publication of Leviathan in 1651. This work was to be his most powerful restatement of absolute government grounded on a compact between the ruled and a sovereign authority that would protect the citizenry and secure peace. Since his political philosophy supported neither the divine right of a monarchy based upon succession nor the independent authority of the church, Hobbes was viewed with suspicion by both royalists and the ecclesiastical community. Hobbes returned to England in 1651, after an eleven-year exile, and took up residence in London. After the Restoration in 1658, he lived on a modest pension from King Charles II and continued to write. In 1668 he wrote Behemoth, a history of the Civil War, but it was suppressed in manuscript until 1682 when it was published posthumously. Having borne the brunt of political in-fighting for many years, Hobbes finally retired to the town of Hardwick, where he died on December 4, 1679, at the age of 91.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780192831217 |
| ISBN 10 | 0192831216 |
| Title | Human Nature |
| Author | Thomas Hobbes |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year published | 1994-07-01 |
| Number of pages | 344 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |