Title State of nature or Eden? : Thomas Hobbes and his contemporaries on the natural condition of human beings / Helen Thornton

Published Rochester, NY : University of Rochester Press, 2005

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Description 1 online resource (251 pages) Series Rochester studies in philosophy, 1529-188X Rochester studies in philosophy. 1529-188X Contents State of nature or Eden? -- Hobbes' state of nature as an account of the fall? -- Hobbes' own belief or unbelief -- The contemporary reaction to Leviathan -- Hobbes and commentaries on Genesis -- A note on method and chapter order -- Good and evil -- Hobbes on good and evil -- The 'seditious doctrines' of the schoolmen -- The contemporary reaction -- The scriptural account -- The state of nature as an account of the fall? -- Equality and unsociability -- Hobbes and natural equality -- The contemporary reaction -- The scriptural account -- Hobbes on natural unsociability -- The contemporary reaction -- The scriptural account -- State of nature as Eden? -- The war of all against all -- Hobbes' war of all against all -- The contemporary reaction -- The scriptural account -- State of nature as fallen condition? -- The right and law of nature -- Hobbes and natural right -- The contemporary reaction -- Hobbes and natural law -- The contemporary reaction -- The scriptural account -- Hobbes as reformed theologian? -- The creation of society -- Hobbes on the escape from the state of nature -- The contemporary reaction : Hobbes versus divine right -- The scriptural account of Cain building a city -- Hobbes on the creation of the commonwealth -- The contemporary reaction : Hobbes versus the patriarchalists -- The scriptural account of the relationship between Adam and Eve -- State of nature as Eden, the process of the fall, and the fallen condition? -- Reading Hobbes' state of nature -- Anti-aristotelianism -- Hobbes' Protestantism Summary State of Nature or Eden? Thomas Hobbes and his Contemporaries on the Natural Condition of Human Beings aims to explain how Hobbes's state of nature was understood by a contemporary readership, whose most important reference point for such a condition was the original condition of human beings at the creation, in other words in Eden. The book uses ideas about how readers brought their own reading of other texts to any reading, that reading is affected by the context in which the reader reads, and that the Bible was the model for all reading in the early modern period. It combines these ideas with the primary evidence of the contemporary critical reaction to Hobbes, to reconstruct how Hobbes's state of nature was read by his contemporaries. The book argues that what determined how Hobbes's seventeenth century readers responded to his description of the state of nature were their views on the effects of the Fall. Hobbes's contemporary critics, the majority of whom were Aristotelians and Arminians, thought that the Fall had corrupted human nature, although not to the extent implied by Hobbes's description. Further, they wanted to look at human beings as they should have been, or ought to be. Hobbes, on the other hand, wanted to look at human beings as they were, and in doing so was closer to Augustinian, Lutheran and Reformed interpretations, which argued that nature had been inverted by the Fall. For those of Hobbes's contemporaries who shared these theological assumptions, there were important parallels to be seen between Hobbes's account and that of scripture, although on some points his description could have been seen as a subversion of scripture. The book also demonstrates that Hobbes was working within the Protestant tradition, as well as showing how he used different aspects of this tradition. Helen Thornton is an Independent Scholar. She completed her PhD at the University of Hull Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 226-240) and index Notes Print version record Subject Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679. Leviathan. Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 -- Criticism and interpretation -- History -- 17th century Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 -- Religion SUBJECT Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 -- Religion Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 -- Critique et interpretation -- Histoire -- 17e siecle Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679. Leviathan Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 -- Criticism and interpretation -- History -- 17th century Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 fast Bible. Genesis -- Criticism, interpretation, etc. -- History -- 17th century Bible. Genesis fast Leviathan (Hobbes, Thomas) fast Subject Natural law. Fall of man. Nature and civilization. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Government -- General. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Government -- National. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Reference. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Essays. Fall of man Natural law Nature and civilization Religion Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc. History Form Electronic book ISBN 9781580466455 1580466451

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