Rationality and Rhetoric in Hobbes' Philosophical Thought -- Translated from the Cambridge History of Ideas

Author: (English) Quentin Skinner
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-12-01
Features: This book examines Hobbes' philosophy of citizenship and how he attempted 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 beyond compare," but in recent years, some scholars have tried to place his ideas within the political events and intellectual context of his era. In this book, the author argues: "Most of Hobbes' views on the philosophy of citizenship were shaped by the linguistic expressions of the Renaissance discourse on the nature of moral science. Moreover, unless we take this broader discourse system as the primary focus of our research, I see little hope of understanding his thought." The author provides a profound and insightful analysis of the formation and evolution of Hobbes' ideas on civic science by discussing the spread of classical rhetoric in England during the Renaissance and Hobbes' educational background. It can be said that the author not only introduces us to the world of the rhetorical thinkers of Renaissance England but also takes us into the mind of Hobbes.