Before Anarchy: Hobbes and his Critics in Modern International Thought

310 Pages·2016·2.7 MB·English

by  Theodore Christov

BeforeAnarchy
Howdidthe“Hobbesianstateofnature”andthe“discourseofanar-
chy” – separated by three centuries – come to be seen as virtually
synonymous?BeforeAnarchyoffersanovelaccountofHobbes’sinter-
personal and international state of nature and rejects two dominant
views. Inone,international relations isa warlike Hobbesian anarchy,
and in the other, state sovereignty eradicates the state of nature. In
combiningthecontextualistmethodinthehistoryofpoliticalthought
and the historiographical method in international relations theory,
Before Anarchy traces Hobbes’s analogy between natural men and
sovereignstatesanditsreceptionbyPufendorf,Rousseau,andVattel,
in showing their intellectual convergence with Hobbes. Far from
defendinga“realist”internationaltheory,theleadingpoliticalthinkers
of early modernity were precursors of the most enlightened liberal
theoryofinternationalsocietytoday.Bydemolishingtwentieth-century
anachronisms, Before Anarchy bridges the divide between political
theory,internationalrelations,andintellectualhistory.
TheodoreChristovisAssistantProfessorofHistoryandInternational
AffairsatGeorgeWashingtonUniversityinWashington,DC,wherehe
teaches intellectual history and political theory. He is also a faculty
affiliateattheInstituteforEuropean,RussianandEurasianStudiesat
theElliottSchoolofInternationalAffairs.Hehaspreviouslyservedas
Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Theory at Northwestern
University.Hisresearchinterestslieininternationalpoliticalthought,
early modern and modern political theory, and classical theories of
internationalrelations.HehaspublishedonHobbesandinternational
thought, Vattel and the liberal state, and the federal idea of early
modernEurope.

Before Anarchy
Hobbes and His Critics in Modern
International Thought
THEODORE CHRISTOV
GeorgeWashingtonUniversity
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©TheodoreChristov2015
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Firstpublished2015
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
AcatalogrecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Christov,Theodore.
Beforeanarchy:Hobbesandhiscriticsinmoderninternationalthought/TheodoreChristov.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn978-1-107-11453-1(hardback)
1. Internationalrelations–Philosophy. 2. Politicalscience–Philosophy.
3. Hobbes,Thomas,1588–1679–Criticismandinterpretation. I. Title.
jz1305.c475 2015
320.101–dc23
2015024722
isbn978-1-107-11453-1Hardback
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Contents
Acknowledgements pageix
part i hobbesian variations 1
1 Introduction:HobbesAfterAnarchy 3
TheGreatDivide 6
Hobbes’sTwoAfterlives 14
TheDiscourseofAnarchy 20
OutlineoftheBook 24
Bibliography 28
2 HobbesBeforeAnarchy 33
Peleau’sParadox 36
StatesofNature 43
MushroomMen 49
TheFictionalSolitary 57
Bibliography 64
3 HobbesWithoutAnarchy 67
FromFewtoMany 69
TheLoquaciousMultitude 74
SaviorsandSaved 81
TheLibertyofServants 85
CovenantsofCohabitation 89
Familiesas“SmallCommonwealths” 96
Bibliography 103
4 HobbesAgainstAnarchy 104
Un-HobbesianRealism 106
StatesasPersons 111
LawsofNations 115
PeaceLeagues 122
vii
viii Contents
Anti-Imperialism 128
Bibliography 136
part ii hobbesian receptions 141
5 Pufendorf’sAnti-HobbesianCamouflage 143
AClosetedHobbesian 146
TheDisguiseofSocialitas 152
FromFamiliestoStates 157
ThePufendorf–CumberlandAlliance 161
Cumberland’sInsinuation 166
Bibliography 171
6 Pufendorf’sInternationalThought 175
InternationalSociability 179
AlliancesofUtility 186
SystemsofStates 190
NonfreeTrade 196
NativePeoples’Rights 200
Bibliography 207
7 RousseauandtheQuestforPeace 211
Escapingthe“PerfectHobbism” 216
NaturalLibertyofStates 218
RootlessCosmopolitanism 223
EuropeasGeneva 227
Bibliography 232
8 VatteltheSorryComforter 234
VattelContraRousseau 238
ImperfectObligations 244
AllStatesCreatedEqual 249
SanctityofTreaties 254
EuropeintheBalance 259
Bibliography 265
Epilogue:GlobalizingPoliticalThought 269
Sovereignty:ContagiousandStubborn 271
InternationalPoliticalTheory:Whereto? 276
Bibliography 280
Index 283