Morality in the Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes: Cases in the Law of Nature

Description

In this book, S. A. Lloyd provides a radical interpretation of Hobbes' laws of nature, revealing them to be not egoistic precepts of personal prudence but rather moral instructions for obtaining the common good. This account of Hobbes' moral philosophy stands in contrast to both divine command and rational choice interpretations. Drawing from the core notion of reciprocity, Lloyd explains Hobbes' system of 'cases in the law of nature' and situates Hobbes' moral philosophy in the broader context of his political philosophy and views on religion. Offering ingenious new arguments, Lloyd defends a reciprocity interpretation of the laws of nature through which humanity's common good is secured.

S. A. Lloyd is professor of philosophy, law, and political science at the University of Southern California. Lloyd is the author of Ideals as Interests in Hobbes's "Leviathan": The Power of Mind over Matter.

"Sharon Lloyd's new book on Hobbes is one of the most significant in the last twenty-five years. She presents an original thesis about the foundation of Hobbes's moral philosophy.... Lloyd's book is required reading for all Hobbes scholars and political theorists." --A. P. Martinich, University of Texas at Austin, Journal of the History of Philosophy