Hobbes: A Biography

by A.P. Martinich

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) is now recognized as one of the fathers of modern philosophy and political theory. In his own time he was as famous for his work in physics, geometry, and religion. He associated with some of the greatest writers, scientists, and politicians of his age including Ben Jonson, Galileo and King Charles II. A. P. Martinich has written the most complete and accessible biography of Hobbes available. The book takes full account of the historical and cultural context in which Hobbes lived, drawing on both published and unpublished sources. It will be a great resource for philosophers, political theorists, and historians of ideas. The clear, crisp prose style will also ensure that the book appeals to general readers with an interest in the history of philosophy, the rise of modern science, and the English Civil War. A. P. Martinich is a Professor of Philosophy and the author or editor of nine books, including The Philosophy of Language (1996), Philosophical Writing (1997), and The Two Gods of Leviathan (Cambridge University Press, 1992).

Genres: Philosophy, Biography, History

424 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 1999

About the author

A. P. Martinich is an analytic philosopher at the University of Texas at Austin. His area of interest is the nature and practice of interpretation; history of modern philosophy; the philosophy of language and religion and the history of political thought. He is considered a foremost authority on Thomas Hobbes.

Reviews

[Alp Turgut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Hobbes’un doğumundan ölümüne kadar olan tüm yaşadıklarını olabildiğince akıcı bir dille okuyucuya sunarak ünlü filozofun düşüncelerini tam anlamıyla yansıtan Martinich’in "Thomas Hobbes" adlı eseri, Hobbes’un en ünlü yapıtı "Leviathan"ı okumadan önce mutlaka okunması gereken bir kitap. Hobbes’un siyaset felsefesinin zamanla nasıl evrim geçirdiğine tanıklık ettiğimiz eserde Hobbes’un doğaldan çok yapaya olan tutkusunu ve İncil’i yorumlama biçimini okudukça filozofa karşı farklı bir ilgi besliyorsunuz. Önceki meslektaşlarının aksine oldukça rahat bir hayat yaşamasına rağmen hayatı kaçmakla geçen Hobbes’un Descartes’la olan tartışmaları da bir o kadar ilgi çekici. Aristotelesçi skolastik felsefeye karşı tutumuyla Platoncu devlet anlayışını benimseyen Hobbes’un yaşadıklarını okudukça filozofun neden her şeyi yasalar çevresinde bağlamak istediğini daha iyi anlıyorsunuz. Mutlak bir egemen anlayışının altını çizen Hobbes’un her insanın eşit yaratıldığını belirtirken kiliseye karşı görüşüyle de Martin Luther’in izinden giderek Katolik kilisesine karşı güçlü bir tutum sergiliyor. "Leviathan" öncesi yazarın görüşlerini daha iyi anlamak için mutlaka okunması gereken bir eser. Tam notum: 4,5/5.

04.04.2018
İstanbul, Türkiye

Alp Turgut

[Bert Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether history is a science or a form of literature, in my experience historians are usually excellent writers: paragons of plain language that makes their subjects approachable and understandable both to their peers and amateurs. Trevelyan, AJP Taylor, JH Plumb, John Lukacz, and Lynne Olsen are among those who, beyond instructive in their areas of fascination, consistently write books that are easy to read, even a pleasure.
I would not be surprised, conversely, if their scholarly articles broke with this general rule, since shorter pieces focus on issues of narrower interest to target specialist audiences.
At least going on this book, AP Martinich is not among these more popular, in the sense of .readable. historians. This biography of Thomas Hobbes goes for completeness, and his interest is in disputes about when Hobbes went on his European tour, his early patrons and their complicated family relations, how well Hobbes's books were received at the time and by whom, disputes about religion and monarchy during that time, etc.
Being a Cambridge University Press publication, it is properly referenced, with abundant footnotes and a detailed Index--which can be extremely useful to anyone with specific interests. Just the kind of book I'd've appreciated visiting as an undergraduate, writing essays--though that was well before 1999, when this came out. In that context, I'd appreciate Martinich's specific explorations of topics in Hobbes's thinking. Hence my high rating: this book's instructive, scholarly, and thorough--beyond any doubt.
For those interested in an enjoyable-to-read biography of this great political philosopher and his very interesting times, I'd recommend looking for something less dry and scholarly.

[Jonny Andres · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing biography about an institutionally "boring" man. I found this to be a very intelligent and witty account of Hobbes and the turbulent times in which he lived. I would recommend this book to anyone driving into the ideals and thought I'd Hobbes.

[Mehmet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Getiri goturu olarak baktigimizda harcanan vakte degmeyecek bir kitap. Bunun sebebi gerek Hobbes'in hayati hakkinda fazla bir sey bilmememiz, bildiklerimizin sıkıcı olması ve yazarin uslubu da olabilir. Zaten savundugu fikirlerin pek de oyle makul bir tarafi yok. Mutlak monarsiyi savunan, materyalizm ile anglikanizm karisimi dini gorusleri olan, garip bir adam Hobbes.
Net soyluyorum. Okumayin bu kitabi. Vaktinize yazik.