Contract Theory in Historical Context: Essays on Grotius, Hobbes, and LockeThese essays contest the truism that the social contract is a modern political idea. Just as Rawls came to acknowledge that his political theory built in the parochial horizon of his time, Hobbes's Grotius's, and Locke's theories presuppose their ancien regime world. Despite their universalizing language. Hobbes's and Locke's theories addressed the age-old issue of resistance to tyrants and assumed the framework of hereditary monarchy. Essays in the volume also relate the logic of their contract claims back to Bodin's and Grotius's defenses of absolute sovereignty and direct attention to the affinity between an `absolutism of fear' and Hume's sensibility. For politically-inclined readers, these theories come to life by being read as treatises on politics in the early-modern state. |
Contents
Political not Metaphysical | 3 |
Resistance Violence and Accountability in SeventeenthCentury Contract Theory | 27 |
Particularity and Universality | 51 |
Chapter Three When Hobbes Needed History | 53 |
Chapter Four Hobbesian Absolutism and the Paradox in Modern Contractarianism | 75 |
Serial Composition | 103 |
Chapter Five The Composition of Hobbess Elements of Law | 105 |
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absolutism absolutist appears argues argument authority Bodin body Cambridge University Press cause century chapter Cive civil society claim common composition concept concerning Conclusion condition consent constitutional context continues contract theory contractarian covenant defense defining definition democracy discussion distinction divided edition EL(T Elements of Law England English evidence fact follows force forms of government Grotian Grotius History Hobbes’s human idea individuals interpretation Introduction issue John King later Leviathan liberty limits Locke Locke’s logic matters ment monarchy nature necessary obligation original Oxford Parliament particular passage person Philosophy political theory Political Thought position possible present principle problem production protect question reasoning rebellion reference regard relationship requires resistance Review ruled rulers social contract sovereign sovereignty specific Studies subjects texts things thinking Thomas Hobbes Thought tion tradition Treatise turn writing