Read more
Most philosophers and political scientists readily admit that Thomas Hobbes is a significant figure in the history of political thought. His theory was, arguably, one of the first to provide a justification for political legitimacy from the perspective of each individual subject. Many excellent books and articles have examined the justification and structure of Hobbes' commonwealth, ethical system, and interpretation of Christianity. What is troubling is that the Hobbesian project has been largely missing in the applied ethics and public policy literature. We often find applications of Kantian deontology, Bentham's or Mill's utilitarianism, Rawls's contractualism, the ethics of care, and various iterations of virtue ethics. Hobbesian accounts are routinely ignored and often derided. This is unfortunate because Hobbes's project offers a unique perspective. To ignore it, when such a perspective would be fruitful to apply to another set of theoretical questions, is a problem in need of a remedy. This volume seeks to eliminate (or, at the very least, partially fill) this gap in the literature.
Not only will this volume appeal to those that are generally familiar with Hobbesian scholarship, it will also appeal to a variety of readers that are largely unfamiliar with Hobbes.
List of contents
Introduction Shane D. Courtland
Section I: Core Issues in Application
1. A Hobbesian Approach to Public Policy Susanne Sreedhar
2. Applied Ethics: A Challenge to Contractarianism? Daniel Eggers
3. Legislating Death: A Problem in Thomas Hobbes’s Argument and its Relevance for Contemporary Democracies Eva Odzuck
Section II: Medical Ethics
4. Hobbesian Medical Ethics Rosamond Rhodes
5. Hobbes and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Between the Pains of Life and Death Joanne Boucher
6. Hobbes and Informed Consent in Medicine Marcus Adams
Section III: Local Issues in Applied Ethics and Public Policy
7. Hobbes on the Ethic and Jurisprudence of Life Kody Cooper
8. Cheers by Command of the Sovereign: A Hobbesian Approach to Alcohol Michael Krom
9. Hobbes Comes Out for Equal Marriage Eleanor Curran
Section IV: Political Issues in Public Policy
10. Hobbes and Free Speech David van Mill
11. Hobbes and the Welfare State Jan Narveson
12. Hobbes on Serious Crime Tom Sorell
Section V: Group Pluralism and Public Policy
13. A Hobbesian Response to Terrorism Jeremy Anderson
14. Hobbesian Holdouts Peter Vanderschraaf
15. Between Two Masters: Hobbes’s Views on International Relations Gabrielle Stanton
About the author
Shane D. Courtland currently works at West Virginia University. His publications have appeared in Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Journal of Environmental Philosophy, Journal of Applied Philosophy, Journal of Mind and Behavior, Southwest Philosophy Review, Hobbes Studies, Reason Papers, Utilitas, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Routledge’s Ethics in Politics.
Summary
The topics addressed in Hobbesian Applied Ethics and Public Policy include the right to die, abortion, same-sex marriage, free speech, terrorism, and international justice. This book will be of interest to Hobbesian scholars, as well as those interested in contemporary issues in applied ethics, political philosophy, and public policy.
