Hobbes, Realism and the Tradition of International Law

Charles Covell considers the poltical thought of Thomas Hobbes in relation to the tradition of international law, and with the intention to challenge the reading of Hobbes as the exponent of the realist standpoint in international thought and practice. The relation of Hobbes to international law is explained through attention to the place that he occupies among the modern secular natural law thinkers, such as Grotius, Pufendorf, Wolff and Vattel, who founded the modern system of the law of nations.

Introduction First Principles of Law, State and Government in Hobbes's Civil Philosophy Natural Law, the Law of Nations and Realism and International Politics The Tradition of International Law Conclusion Notes and References Bibliography Index