Hobbes and Political Contractarianism: Selected Writings

This volume presents a selection of David Gauthier's writings on Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and the theory of political contractarianism. The eight essays on Hobbes, written over four decades, represent the author's changing understanding of the moral and political theories since the publication of The Logic of Leviathan (OUP, 1969). These include essays on Hobbes on law, challenging influential readings of his legal philosophy, and a previously unpublished piece, 'The True and Only Moral Philosophy', providing a close reading of chapters 13-15 of Leviathan. The four essays on social contract theory include an extended version of 'Political Contractarianism' (1997), Gauthier's well-known 'Public Reason' (1994), and a paper previously available only in French and Spanish translations.

About the Author

David Gauthier is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh. He previously held postions at the University of Toronto, and has held visiting appointments at UCLA, UC Berkeley, Princeton, UC Irvine, and the University of East Anglia. He is the author of Practical Reasoning: The Structure and Foundations of Prudential and Moral Arguments and their Exemplification in Discourse (OUP, 1963), The Logic of Leviathan: The Moral and Political Theory of Thomas Hobbes (OUP 1969), Morals by Agreement (OUP, 1986), Moral Dealing: Contract, Ethics, and Reason (Cornell, 1990), and Rousseau: The Sentiment of Existence (Cambridge, 2006).