Democratic Tendencies in Hobbes's Leviathan Open Access

Abstract

In this dissertation, I argue that Hobbes articulates and defends a set of political ideals that have come to be associated with democracy. Specifically, he views political equality, individual rights for all citizens, and the rule of law as necessary components of a well-formed commonwealth. This is not to say that Hobbes himself was a democrat, merely that his thought is still valuable to those who try to theorize democracy and its relation to these ideals. Much Hobbes scholarship, however, depicts his science of commonwealth as an argument for political order at any cost — even submission to a tyrannical, absolute ruler. In my opinion, this portrayal goes too far and obscures the importance of Hobbes’s account of individuals as equal parties in the constitution of both commonwealth, and the office of sovereignty. When approaching the topic of Hobbes’s absolutism, I will stress the distinction between the authority of the office of sovereignty and the power exercised by whoever occupies this office. Throughout, I maintain that the authority of the office must be understood as bounded or limited by the end of its institution. Finally, I will complement my analysis of Hobbes’s arguments with an examination of the competing ideological positions in Stuart England. Upon examination, Hobbes appears opposed to the conservative elitism of both his royalist and parliamentarian peers and, furthermore, seeks to counter the dangerous forms of personal authority fostered by elite infighting as well as the dysfunctional state of English common law.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations and Conventions..………………………………………………………….1

Introduction.……………………………………………………………………………….2

Chapter 1: Hobbes on Natural Equality………………………………………………….12

      Part I.  Hobbes’s Critics

i.     The Content of Natural Equality

ii.   The Consequences of Natural Equality

      Part II. Re-examining Hobbes’s Argument for Natural Equality

i.     Inequality and Equality in the State of Nature

ii.   Hobbes’s Philosophical Psychology & The Role of Prudence

iii.  Political Equality

      Part III. Hobbes’s Argument for Natural Equality in Context

i.     The Ancient Constitution and the People

ii.   Inequality in Stuart England

Chapter 2: From Natural Equality to Individual Rights………………………………….72

      Part I. Hobbes’s Critics

i.     The Question of Natural Rights

ii.   Liberties vs. Claims

      Part II.The Rights of Hobbesian Subjects

i.     Liberty in the State of Nature

ii.   The Claims of Subjects in Commonwealth

iii.  The Inalienable Rights of Individuals

      Part III. The Evolution of Rights Language

i.     Rights in Stuart England

Chapter 3: The Free Gift of Sovereignty.………………………………………………119

      Part I. Hobbes’s Critics  

i.The Problem of Personal Authority

ii.The Problem of Political Legitimacy

      Part II.Re-examining Hobbes’s Argument for Absolute Sovereignty

i.Generating Leviathan (A Response to the Charge of Personal Authority)

ii.Authority vs. Power (A Response to the Charge of De Factoism)

iii.Limitations on Sovereign Liberty?

      Part IV. Hobbes’s Absolutism in Context

i.The Common Law Tradition in Stuart England

ii.The Civil Law Tradition, Sovereign Absolutism, and the Politicized Masses

Summary & Conclusion..………………………………………………………………198

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………201

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Philosophy
Degree	Ph.D.
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Philosophy
Keyword	sovereignty equality rights Hobbes democracy
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Goldenbaum, Ursula, Emory University
Committee Members	Verene, Donald, Emory University Hartle, Ann, Emory University

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