Images of Anarchy : The Rhetoric and Science in Hobbes's State of Nature

Hobbes's Concept Of The Natural Condition Of Mankind Became An Inescapable Point Of Reference For Subsequent Political Thought, Shaping The Theories Of Emulators And Critics Alike, And Has Had A Profound Impact On Our Understanding Of Human Nature, Anarchy, And International Relations. Yet, Despite Hobbes's Insistence On Precision, The State Of Nature Is An Elusive Concept. Has It Ever Existed And, If So, For Whom? Hobbes Offered Several Answers To These Questions, Which Taken Together Reveal A Consistent Strategy Aimed At Providing His Readers With A Possible, Probable, And Memorable Account Of The Consequences Of Disobedience. This Book Examines The Development Of This Powerful Image Throughout Hobbes's Works, And Traces Its Origins In His Sources Of Inspiration. The Resulting Trajectory Of The State Of Nature Illuminates The Ways In Which Hobbes Employed A Rhetoric Of Science And A Science Of Rhetoric In His Relentless Pursuit Of Peace. --provided By Publisher. Prologue -- Secretly Instructing The Readers; A Kind Of Science -- Part I A Græcian -- 1 Politic Historiography -- The Unreliability Of Self-reliance -- The Historian's Partiality -- Thucydides' Solution: Letting Events Speak For Themselves -- 2 Winning Belief In The Hearer; A Rhetorician -- Part Ii A Devotion To Peace -- 3 Unobjectionable Foundations; Privation -- A Certain Equality, An Uncertain Anarchy -- 4 The Birth Of Civil Philosophy -- A Mirror Of Princes -- The State Of Men Without Civil Societyan Actual Contract -- 5 Reason Of State -- Epic Poetry -- Part Iii Images Historical Or Fabulous -- 6 Lapse And Relapse Or The First Rebellion -- What Hobbes Said About Genesis -- What Hobbes Did Not Say About Genesis -- 7 Another Scripture -- Thucydides, Anew; 8 America -- Part Iv A Science Of Rhetoric -- 9 All Things To All People -- Elitism For All -- Dissimulation And The Foolishness Of The Wise -- Epilogue. Ioannis D. Evrigenis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Dedication......Page 4 Title page......Page 5 Copyright information......Page 6 Table of contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 9 List of abbreviations......Page 13 Prologue......Page 15 Secretly Instructing the Readers......Page 26 A Kind of Science......Page 33 Part I A Græcian......Page 37 1 Politic Historiography......Page 39 The Unreliability of Self-Reliance......Page 45 The Historian’s Partiality......Page 46 Thucydides’ Solution: Letting Events Speak for Themselves......Page 49 A Rhetorician......Page 58 Part II A Devotion to Peace......Page 75 3 Unobjectionable Foundations......Page 77 Privation......Page 80 A Certain Equality, an Uncertain Anarchy......Page 85 4 The Birth of Civil Philosophy......Page 95 A Mirror of Princes......Page 102 The State of Men without Civil Society......Page 113 An Actual Contract......Page 125 5 Reason of State......Page 139 Epic Poetry......Page 164 Part III Images “Historical or Fabulous”......Page 171 6 Lapse and Relapse or the First Rebellion......Page 173 What Hobbes Said about Genesis......Page 180 What Hobbes Did Not Say about Genesis......Page 187 7 Another Scripture......Page 193 Thucydides, Anew......Page 204 8 America......Page 216 Part IV A Science of Rhetoric......Page 239 Elitism for All: Dissimulation and the Foolishness of the Wise......Page 241 Epilogue......Page 262 List of Manuscripts......Page 271 Bibliography......Page 273 Index......Page 301 This book examines the development of the natural condition of mankind throughout Hobbes's works and traces its origins in his sources of inspiration. The resulting trajectory of the state of nature illuminates the ways in which Hobbes employed a rhetoric of science and a science of rhetoric in his relentless pursuit of peace.