Safe or happy? The purpose of the Leviathan seen through Kant's objections

Ideas Y Valores 67 (168):59-80 (2018)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

RESUMEN En el presente trabajo se aborda el proyecto político hobbesiano a la luz de las críticas realizadas por Kant en Teoría y praxis. Específicamente, se considera en detalle la objeción contra el Gobierno despótico, según la cual, el soberano sitúa la felicidad del pueblo como la principal finalidad del Estado y, por ello, acaba fomentando involuntariamente la rebelión. Al respecto, se sostendrá que el planteamiento de Hobbes en el Leviatán evade el foco de los reproches kantianos, justamente porque su particular noción de felicidad impide que esta pueda ser constituida como el objetivo de la sociedad política. A su vez, se arguye que existe una sugestiva modificación terminológica con relación al De Cive, que lleva a considerar la posibilidad de que Hobbes haya prefigurado las críticas reseñadas. ABSTRACT The article addresses Hobbes' political project in the light of Kant's critique as set forth in Theory and Praxis. Specifically, it carries out a detailed discussion of the objection to despotic government, in which the sovereign establishes the happiness of the people as the main objective of the State and, consequently, ends up involuntarily fostering rebellion. In this respect, the article argues that Hobbes' formulation in Leviathan manages to circumvent Kant's reproaches precisely because its peculiar notion of happiness prevents it from being construed as the objective of political society. Likewise, we argue that there is a significant modification of terminology with respect to De Cive, which leads us to consider the possibility that Hobbes may have anticipated the objections discussed.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 92,150

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Hobbes’s Philosophy in De Cive and Leviathan.John Deigh - 2012 - Hobbes Studies 25 (2):199-208.
Hobbes's reply to republicanism.A. P. Martinich - 2004 - Rivista di Storia Della Filosofia 1.
Hobbes, materialismo e libertà.Andrea Bardin - 2018 - Scienza and Politica. Per Una Storia Delle Dottrine 30 (58).
Kant on Hobbes, peace, and obedience.Timo Airaksinen & Arto Siitonen - 2004 - History of European Ideas 30 (3):315-328.
Leviathan after 350 years.Tom Sorell & Luc Foisneau (eds.) - 2004 - New York: Oxford University Press.
Hobbes and Schmitt on the name and nature of Leviathan revisited.Patricia Springborg - 2010 - Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 13 (2-3):297-315.

Analytics

Added to PP
2019-02-26

Downloads
15 (#950,030)

6 months
4 (#796,002)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Hobbes.Tom Sorell - 1986 - New York: Routledge.
In Pursuit of Happiness.Donald Rutherford - 2003 - Philosophical Topics 31 (1-2):369-393.
II. Hobbes, Puritans, and Promethean Politics.George Shulman - 1988 - Political Theory 16 (3):426-443.

View all 6 references / Add more references