Books

A sought after collection of scarce philosophical works from early English political philosopher, Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Written in Latin. Thomas Hobbes was one of the founders of modern political philosophy. His understanding of humans as being matter and motion, obeying the same physical laws as other matter and motion, remains influential; and his account of human nature as self-interested cooperation, and of political communities as being based upon a "social contract" remains one of the major topics of political philosophy. Hobbes was a champion of absolutism for the sovereign but he also developed some of the fundamentals of European liberal thought: the right of the individual; the natural equality of all men; the artificial character of the political order (which led to the later distinction between civil society and the state); the view that all legitimate political power must be "representative" and based on the consent of the people; and a liberal interpretation of law which leaves people free to do whatever the law does not explicitly forbid. Two works bound as one. First volume dated from COPAC using pagination and publisher. Preface present from the 1646 edition. Featuring an engraved title page, decorative head and tail pieces and illuminated capitals. In contemporary calf binding. Externally, rubbed with wear to the extremities and spine. Slight loss to the tail of the spine and rear hinge is very slightly starting. Internally, generally firmly bound, although with the odd leaf working slightly loose. Light instances of spotting throughout and with some uncut pages. Ink signature to the front free endpaper. Good.

De Cive is one of Thomas Hobbes' major works, originally published in Latin in 1642. It deals with the structure of society and legitimate government, continuing to build upon Hobbes' ideas that culminated in 'Leviathan.'