File(s) not publicly available
Counsel, command and crisis
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 08:32 authored by Joanne PaulAlthough the distinction between counsel and command in Hobbes’s works, especially Leviathan, has been often acknowledged, it has been little studied. This article provides background and analysis of this critical distinction by placing it in conversation with the works of Henry Parker and in the context of the English Civil War, especially as regards the discussion of prudence, interests and crisis. In so doing, three conclusions can be drawn. First, it becomes clear that for both Parker and Hobbes, counsel serves as a foundation to their arguments about the placement and function of sovereignty. Second, in grounding their arguments about sovereignty in the discourse of counsel, both authors – intentionally or unintentionally – undermine the previously critical discourse of counsel. Finally, we see that especially Hobbes’s engagement with and overthrow of the discourse of counsel profoundly alters of the terms and focus of modern political debate, moving from a ‘monarchy of counsel’ to a discussion of political sovereignty.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Hobbes StudiesISSN
0921-5891Publisher
BrillExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
28Page range
103-131Department affiliated with
- History Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes