Liberty, Rationality, and Agency in Hobbes's Leviathan

267 Pages·2001·0.85 MB·English

by  David Van Mill

Liberty, Rationality, and Agency
in Hobbes’s Leviathan

Liberty, Rationality, and Agency
in Hobbes’s Leviathan
David van Mill
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
Published by
State University of New York Press,Albany
© 2001 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
van Mill,David.
Liberty,rationality,and agency in Hobbes’s Leviathan / David van Mill.
p.cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-5035-X (alk.paper)—ISBN 0-7914-5036-8 (pbk.:alk.
paper)
1.Hobbes,Thomas,1588–1679.Leviathan.2.Liberty.I.Title.
JC153.H659 V35 2001
320.1—dc21 00-045053
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my parents

Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Part I:Introduction and Theoretical
Framework
Chapter 1.Introduction 3
Summary of the Chapters 4
Chapter 2.The Scope of Freedom 13
Introduction 13
Charles Taylor and Positive Freedom 15
Flathman and Negative Freedom26
Flathman on Autonomy 28
Internal and External Freedom 33
Conclusion 41
Part II:Freedom,Autonomy,Rationality,
and Morality
Chapter 3.Hobbes and Negative Freedom 47
Introduction 47
External Freedom and Causality 48
Freedom and Will 53
Fear and Freedom55
vii
viii Contents
Obligation and Freedom 62
The State of Nature
The Laws of Nature and the Right of Nature
Civil Society
Conclusion 69
Chapter 4.The Internal Conditions of Freedom:
Complex Instrumental Rationality and Autonomy 73
Introduction 73
Instrumental Rationality 75
Hobbesian Rationality:Good as the Promise of
Things to Come 79
Rationality and Coherent Action:Good as Utile 91
Conclusion 94
Chapter 5.The Internal Conditions of Freedom:
Substantive Rationality and Autonomy 97
Introduction 97
Substantive Rationality and Autonomy:
Good as Jucundum 103
Rationality and Self-regarding Actions 112
Rationality and Other-regarding Actions 115
Conclusion 117
Chapter 6.Voluntarism and Morality 119
Introduction 119
Hobbes’s Psychology 122
Psychological Egoism 125
Morality 129
Conclusion 149
Contents ix
Part III:External Freedom
Chapter 7.Freedom,Equality,and the Laws
of Nature 153
Introduction 153
The Harm Principle and the Protection
of Freedom and Equality 156
The Laws of Nature and the Sovereign 162
Sovereignty and Democracy 175
Education,Censorship,Religion,Free
Association,and the Preservation of
Peace and Freedom 182
Education and Order
Censorship
Freedom of Association
Religion and Order
Conclusion 196
Part IV:Conclusion
Chapter 8.Hobbes’s Dualism 205
Introduction 205
Determinism 207
Consent 209
Equality 212
Power 213
Conclusion 216
Notes 217
Bibliography 241
Index 249