Rationality and Rhetoric in Hobbes' Philosophical Thought

Author: Skinner
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-12-01
Features: This book examines Hobbes' civil philosophy from the perspective of rhetoric, as well as how he attempted to transform the study of moral and political theory into a scientific discipline. The author provides a profound and insightful analysis of the formation and evolution of Hobbes' civil science ideas by discussing the spread of classical rhetoric in England during the Renaissance and Hobbes' education. It not only introduces us to the intellectual world of English rhetoricians of that period but also takes us into Hobbes' mind. The book explores Hobbes' civil philosophy and how he sought to transform the study of moral and political theory into a scientific discipline. In the past, Hobbes was often portrayed as a thinker who was "unique in his time and unmatched by any successor," but in recent years, some scholars have tried to understand his ideas within the political events and intellectual context of his era. In this book, the author argues: "Most of Hobbes' views on civil philosophy were shaped by the linguistic expressions used in discussions of the nature of moral science during the Renaissance. Moreover, unless we take this broader discourse system as the primary focus of our research, I doubt there is much hope of understanding his thought." The author provides a profound and insightful analysis of the formation and evolution of Hobbes' civil science ideas by discussing the spread of classical rhetoric in England during the Renaissance and Hobbes' education. It can be said that the author not only introduces us to the intellectual world of English rhetoricians of that period but also takes us into Hobbes' mind.