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Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought
Research Guide
What is Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought?
Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought is the body of ideas developed in the early modern era by thinkers such as Hugo Grotius, Thomas Hobbes, and Spinoza on natural rights, sovereignty, international law, colonialism, and the intersection of theology and politics.
This field encompasses 47,592 works exploring political theory during the transition from medieval to modern thought. Key texts address sovereignty and experimental science in Hobbes's era, as examined in "Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life" (1987). Analyses also cover property rights and government in Locke's "Two Treatises of Government" (2007).
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Hobbesian Sovereignty
Hobbesian sovereignty examines Thomas Hobbes' theory of absolute sovereign authority in Leviathan as a solution to the state of nature. Researchers analyze its contractual basis, implications for civil peace, and critiques in modern political theory.
Grotius Natural Rights
Grotius natural rights explores Hugo Grotius' secular foundations of rights in De Jure Belli ac Pacis, independent of divine law. Researchers study its role in just war theory and transition from medieval to modern rights discourse.
Spinoza Political Philosophy
Spinoza political philosophy investigates Baruch Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise on democracy, freedom of thought, and biblical criticism. Researchers examine his monistic metaphysics' impact on republicanism and secular governance.
Seventeenth-Century International Law
Seventeenth-century international law traces origins from Grotius and others on treaties, war laws, and state interactions. Researchers analyze its application to European diplomacy and early global order.
Theology and Politics in Early Modern Europe
Theology and politics in early modern Europe studies intersections of religious doctrine with political authority in Hobbes, Grotius, and Spinoza. Researchers explore toleration debates, millenarianism, and secularization processes.
Why It Matters
Seventeenth-century political thought shapes modern concepts of sovereignty, natural rights, and international law applied in constitutional frameworks and global diplomacy. Locke's "Two Treatises of Government" (2007), with 2931 citations, establishes property rights from labor, influencing documents like the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Hobbes's ideas in "Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life" (Shapin and Schaffer, 1987; 2172 citations) inform debates on state power and scientific authority in governance. Skinner's "The Foundations of Modern Political Thought" (1978; 2122 citations) traces these ideas from medieval transitions, impacting historiography of liberalism and state theory.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"The Foundations of Modern Political Thought" by Quentin Skinner (1978) provides an accessible two-volume introduction to the period's transition from medieval to modern theory, ideal for building foundational knowledge.
Key Papers Explained
Skinner's "The Foundations of Modern Political Thought" (1978) sets the historical stage up to the sixteenth century, which Shapin and Schaffer's "Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life" (1987) extends into seventeenth-century Hobbes-Boyle debates on sovereignty and science. Locke's "Two Treatises of Government" (2007) builds on these by articulating property-based natural rights. Agamben's "Homo Sacer" (2020) connects back to power and ethics in this tradition.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current scholarship continues to analyze Hobbes's experimental life and Locke's property doctrines through Skinnerian methodology, with no recent preprints or news indicating shifts.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homo Sacer | 2020 | Stanford University Pr... | 7.0K | ✕ |
| 2 | The Body in the Mind | 1987 | — | 6.2K | ✕ |
| 3 | Multitude: war and democracy in the age of empire | 2005 | Choice Reviews Online | 4.7K | ✕ |
| 4 | Two Treatises of Government | 2007 | Cambridge University P... | 2.9K | ✕ |
| 5 | The Order of Things | 2005 | — | 2.9K | ✕ |
| 6 | Trust the People! Populism and the Two Faces of Democracy | 1999 | Political Studies | 2.3K | ✕ |
| 7 | Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimenta... | 1987 | The American Historica... | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 8 | The Foundations of Modern Political Thought | 1978 | Cambridge University P... | 2.1K | ✕ |
| 9 | Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimenta... | 1987 | The Journal of Interdi... | 2.1K | ✕ |
| 10 | Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain | 2004 | The Journal of Nervous... | 2.1K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What role does Hobbes play in seventeenth-century political thought?
Hobbes features centrally in analyses of sovereignty and experimental life, as detailed in "Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life" by Shapin and Schaffer (1987; 2172 citations). The work examines Hobbes's debates with Boyle on scientific method and political authority. It received 2061 citations in another review (Traynham et al., 1987).
How does Locke define property rights?
"Two Treatises of Government" by John Locke (2007; 2931 citations) states that every man has a property in his own person, with labor making external goods his own. This grounds natural rights against common ownership of nature. The text marks a shift to individualist political theory.
What is the focus of Skinner's work on political thought?
"The Foundations of Modern Political Thought" by Quentin Skinner (1978; 2122 citations) studies political ideas from the late thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. It presents the transition to modern theory with methodological justification. The two-volume set serves as an introduction for students.
How does Agamben's Homo Sacer relate to sovereignty?
"Homo Sacer" by Giorgio Agamben (2020; 6964 citations) connects potentiality, power, and ethics in politics lacking religious grounding. It addresses pure possibility and social ethics tied to sovereignty. The work draws on early modern contexts.
What topics does the field cover?
The field examines natural rights, sovereignty, international law, colonialism, ethics, and theology-politics intersections. Key figures include Grotius, Hobbes, and Spinoza. It totals 47,592 works.
Open Research Questions
- ? How did theological frameworks influence Hobbes's conception of sovereignty beyond experimental debates?
- ? In what ways did Grotius's international law ideas anticipate or diverge from Locke's property theories?
- ? How do Spinoza's ethics intersect with colonial political thought in seventeenth-century texts?
- ? What methodological challenges remain in tracing the medieval-modern transition in Skinner's framework?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 47,592 works with no specified 5-year growth rate; highly cited texts like Agamben's "Homo Sacer" (2020; 6964 citations) and Locke's "Two Treatises of Government" (2007; 2931 citations) sustain focus on sovereignty and rights.
No recent preprints or news coverage in the last 12 months or 6 months signals steady interpretive work on Hobbes, Skinner, and related figures.
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