Hobbes on Resistance
Defying the Leviathan

An interpretation of Hobbes's philosophy that focuses on political disobedience and demonstrates the existence of a Hobbesian theory of resistance.

Susanne Sreedhar (Author)

9780521197243, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 September 2010

192 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.5 cm, 0.45 kg

'Sreedhar offers a thought-provoking, textually sensitive and plausible discussion of such central topics as liberty, authorization and absolutism, explaining the mutual relationships of these ideas in Hobbes's system. Clearly written and accessibly argued, this book will be of interest to philosophers, political scientists, intellectual historians and scholars of social theory alike.' Sharon Lloyd, University of Southern California

Hobbes's political theory has traditionally been taken to be an endorsement of state power and a prescription for unconditional obedience to the sovereign's will. In this book, Susanne Sreedhar develops a novel interpretation of Hobbes's theory of political obligation and explores important cases where Hobbes claims that subjects have a right to disobey and resist state power, even when their lives are not directly threatened. Drawing attention to this broader set of rights, her comprehensive analysis of Hobbes's account of political disobedience reveals a unified and coherent theory of resistance that has previously gone unnoticed and undefended. Her book will appeal to all who are interested in the nature and limits of political authority, the right of self-defense, the right of revolution, and the modern origins of these issues.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Hobbes's right of self-defense
2. The true liberties of subjects
3. Limited obedience to an unlimited sovereign
4. Is Leviathan a 'Rebel's Catechism'?
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900 [HPCD]