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Hobbes: A Very Short Introduction

Richard Tuck
ISBN13: 9780192802552ISBN10: 0192802550 Paperback, 168 pages
Jul 2002,  In Stock

Retail Price to Students:

$11.95 (03)
168 pages; numerous halftones; ISBN13: 978-0-19-280255-2ISBN10: 0-19-280255-0

Description

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was the first great English political philosopher, and his book Leviathan was one of the first truly modern works of philosophy. Richard Tuck shows that while Hobbes may indeed have been an atheist, he was far from pessimistic about human nature, nor did he advocate totalitarianism. By locating him against the context of his age, we learn that Hobbes developed a theory of knowledge which rivaled that of Descartes in its importance for the formation of modern philosophy.

Features

  • Covers important topics such as atheism, and human nature
  • Hobbes was the first great English political philosopher
  • Richard Tuck is an expert in political philosophy and history
  • Discusses Hobbes' view of the natural human condition as 'nasty, brutish, and short'
  • Fully updated bibliography for this edition

Reviews

"Review from previous edition "lucid introduction to the first great English political philosopher."--The Times

About the Author(s)

Richard Tuck is Professor of Government at Harvard University. He is the author of Natural Rights Theories (1979) and Philosophy and Government 1572-1651 (1993), and has produced editions of Hobbes's Leviathan and (with Michael Silverthorne) De Cive.