Overview
In this book, S. A. Lloyd offers a radically new interpretation of Hobbes’s laws of nature, revealing them to be not egoistic precepts of personal prudence but rather moral instructions for obtaining the common good. This account of Hobbes’s moral philosophy stands in contrast to both divine command and rational choice interpretations. Drawing from the core notion of reciprocity, Lloyd explains Hobbes’s system of “cases in the law of nature” and situates Hobbes’s moral philosophy in the broader context of his political philosophy and views on religion. Offering ingenious new arguments, Lloyd defends a reciprocity interpretation of the laws of nature through which humanity’s common good is secured.Synopsis
In this book, S. A. Lloyd offers a radically new interpretation of Hobbes's laws of nature, revealing them to be not egoistic precepts of personal prudence but rather instructions for obtaining the common good dictated by the moral requirement of reciprocity.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Sharon Lloyd's new book on Hobbes is one of the most significant in the last twenty-five years. She presents an original thesis about the foundation of Hobbes's moral philosophy.... Lloyd's book is required reading for all Hobbes scholars and political theorists."--A. P. Martinich, University of Texas at Austin, Journal of the History of Philosophy
Book Details
Published
July 1, 2009
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Pages
436
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780521861670