The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics
As a logical starting point structuring the entire theoretical field of political analysis, Hobbes’s definition of the state of nature is a key for understanding his science of politics. The paper shows that the concept of the state of nature implies two fundamentally distinct types of states in whi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia
2008-01-01
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| Series: | Anali Hrvatskog Politološkog Društva |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/56005 |
| _version_ | 1819083900490612736 |
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| author | Luka Ribarević |
| author_facet | Luka Ribarević |
| author_sort | Luka Ribarević |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As a logical starting point structuring the entire theoretical field of political analysis, Hobbes’s definition of the state of nature is a key for understanding his science of politics. The paper shows that the concept of the state of nature implies two fundamentally distinct types of states in which neither people nor troubles with which they are faced are identical. In the original state of nature conflicts among people stem directly from their nature. Based on the analysis of Hobbes’s understanding of human nature and critical reading of his interpretation of the state of nature by Jean Hampton, the paper identifies the mechanism by which reason and passion turn the state of nature into a state of war. However, alongside the original state of nature, a historical state of nature also coexists, in which conflicts spring from religious views and political beliefs immanent to
people as religious and political beings, and as beings of language and conscience. What is crucial for conflicts in this historical state of nature is the influence exerted by language as a discursive context on human action. As the state of war feeds from both human nature
and history, any attempt of overcoming the state of nature must abandon them: the state is necessarily an artificial and ahistorical project, based on science of politics as a new political language appropriate for human self-preservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T20:39:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4862f2ea1dff48fe9b0d29cbdfc68c2b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1845-6707 1847-5299 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T20:39:55Z |
| publishDate | 2008-01-01 |
| publisher | Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anali Hrvatskog Politološkog Društva |
| spelling | doaj.art-4862f2ea1dff48fe9b0d29cbdfc68c2b2022-12-21T18:51:00ZengFaculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, CroatiaAnali Hrvatskog Politološkog Društva1845-67071847-52992008-01-015.1.461481The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of PoliticsLuka RibarevićAs a logical starting point structuring the entire theoretical field of political analysis, Hobbes’s definition of the state of nature is a key for understanding his science of politics. The paper shows that the concept of the state of nature implies two fundamentally distinct types of states in which neither people nor troubles with which they are faced are identical. In the original state of nature conflicts among people stem directly from their nature. Based on the analysis of Hobbes’s understanding of human nature and critical reading of his interpretation of the state of nature by Jean Hampton, the paper identifies the mechanism by which reason and passion turn the state of nature into a state of war. However, alongside the original state of nature, a historical state of nature also coexists, in which conflicts spring from religious views and political beliefs immanent to people as religious and political beings, and as beings of language and conscience. What is crucial for conflicts in this historical state of nature is the influence exerted by language as a discursive context on human action. As the state of war feeds from both human nature and history, any attempt of overcoming the state of nature must abandon them: the state is necessarily an artificial and ahistorical project, based on science of politics as a new political language appropriate for human self-preservation.http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/56005Thomas HobbesJean HamptonLeviathanstate of naturestate |
| spellingShingle | Luka Ribarević The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics Anali Hrvatskog Politološkog Društva Thomas Hobbes Jean Hampton Leviathan state of nature state |
| title | The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics |
| title_full | The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics |
| title_fullStr | The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics |
| title_short | The Starting Point of Hobbes’s Science of Politics |
| title_sort | starting point of hobbes s science of politics |
| topic | Thomas Hobbes Jean Hampton Leviathan state of nature state |
| url | http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/56005 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lukaribarevic thestartingpointofhobbessscienceofpolitics AT lukaribarevic startingpointofhobbessscienceofpolitics |