A Hobbes Dictionary

Thomas Hobbes is one of the first great modern philosophers. In particular, his version of the social contract theory has proved to be one of the enduring intellectual achievements of modern political and moral thought. This dictionary provides a comprehensive and cohesive expository account of about one hundred and fifty key concepts covering the entire range of Hobbes′s thought, from philosophy, political theory and science, to theology, history and mathematics. Extensively cross–referenced, the volume also includes a biography of Hobbes, a chronology of Hobbes′s life and works, a chronology of historical events in the early and mid–seventeenth century, and an annotated bibliography of Hobbes′s major works, contemporary editions, and main secondary literature. This volume will be indispensable for students and researchers interested in Hobbes′s life and thought. Each Blackwell Philosopher Dictionary presents the life and work of an individual philosopher in a scholarly yet accessible manner. Entries cover key ideas and thoughts, as well as the main themes of the philosopher′s work. A comprehensive biographical sketch is also included.

Preface. Abbreviations. 1. Thomas Hobbes in Stuart England. 2. A Chronology of Hobbes′s Life and Works. 3. A Chronology of English History for the Study of Hobbes′s Thought. 4. Dictionary of Entries A–Z. Bibliography. Index.

A. P. Martinich is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of several books, including The Two Gods of Leviathan (1993), and is in addition the editor of Philosophy of Language (Second Edition, 1990).

"Martinich offers a superb aid to study of the thought of Thomas Hobbes, the 17th–century English philosopher whose philosophy of law and the state remains controversial. The bulk of the work is a dictionary with approximately 140 entries that cover the full range of Hobbes′s thought, including concepts in metaphysics, epistemology, science, politics and theology. The entries provide a helpful exposition of difficult concepts in Hobbes′s writing and attempt to clarify, in a balanced, critical way, the problematic and controversial features of his philosophy." Choice