Thomas Hobbes

 

I'm a great fan of Oxford's series of Short Introductions: I find them lively, direct, and informative. This was certainly the case for the most recent of these Introductions -- to Thomas Hobbes. 

Richard Tuck is excellent on Hobbes, providing a holistic view of his life and times. Hobbes is presented here both as a philosopher and historical figure. The Leviathan, of course, is given considerable attention, but other of Hobbes's tracts, including those focused on science and ethics, are discussed as well. 

For me, Tuck is best when helping to crystalize Hobbes's premise: that, in the state of nature, we all assert a moral right to self-preservation. The trouble, however, is that what one person considers a threat to his or her life differs from someone else: this results in a state of war, for, without a remedy to this imbalance, we will continue to defend ourselves, and take recourse to violence. 

Hobbes's primary contribution here was political: he proposed a commonwealth -- manifest in an absolute political figure -- which codified rules of conduct. In effect, limits to self-preservation were political by nature: the Leviathan established practices which limited the inclination toward war, and which guaranteed the right to life (in the sense of preservation). 

I am not a philosopher, nor a political theorist, but that's the point, in the end, when it comes to these Oxford Introductions: there's lots here to hold onto, there's plenty to engage and debate. Hobbes continues to loom large in the philosophical and political communities, and I thank Tuck for helping to orient me to his legacy and contributions.