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The Erotic Political Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2016

Joanne Boucher
Joanne Boucher*
Affiliation:
University of Winnipeg
*
Department of Political Science, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3B 2E9, Email: j.boucher@uwinnipeg.ca
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Abstract

In this article I engage with recent scholarly commentary concerning the realm of human sexuality in the work of Thomas Hobbes. This has, perhaps unsurprisingly, been a neglected area of enquiry given the paucity of Hobbes's analysis of this aspect of the human passions. I argue that this new field of enquiry is to be welcomed as it allows us to explore and understand Hobbes as a fully erotic philosopher. Moreover, his erotic philosophy is best understood through the prism of his thorough-going materialism.

Résumé

Cet article jette un regard sur les récents commentaires de spécialistes au sujet de la sexualité humaine dans l’œuvre de Thomas Hobbes. Il s'agit, sans surprise aucune, d'un domaine de recherche fort négligé étant donné la rareté des propos de Hobbes sur cet aspect des passions humaines. Je soutiens que ce nouveau champ de recherche mérite d’être exploré, car il nous permettra de comprendre pleinement la philosophie érotique de Hobbes, notamment à la lumière de son profond matérialisme.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , March 2016 , pp. 89 - 105
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2016 

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