The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 05 (of 11) by Hobbes
"The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 05 (of 11)" by Hobbes is a collection of philosophical writings written in the mid-19th century. This volume focuses on the classic debate over free will, determinism, and chance, centering on Hobbes’s exchange with Bishop John Bramhall. It contrasts Hobbes’s thoroughgoing necessity—grounded in divine will, causation, and foreknowledge—with Bramhall’s defense of a genuinely free human will, drawing on Scripture, scholastic theology, and practical
reasoning. Readers can expect a sharp, source-rich controversy about moral responsibility, divine justice, and human action. The opening of the volume sets the stage with Hobbes’s brief address to the reader and a clear statement of the dispute: both sides agree people are free to do what they will, but they split on whether one can be free to will what one wills. Hobbes outlines the “state of the question,” distinguishing freedom to act from freedom to will, and lists four sources of argument—authority (especially Scripture), practical consequences, divine attributes, and natural reason—before citing extensive biblical support for necessity and reconciling texts that seem to oppose it. He challenges scholastic “permission” doctrines, separates God’s revealed will from His decree, and argues that God’s foreknowledge entails necessity, while countering the charge that necessity destroys law, prudence, or piety. The text then turns polemical: Bramhall denounces necessity as destructive, defends traditional distinctions (liberty of exercise vs. contrariety), and accuses Hobbes of evasions, while Hobbes replies point by point, insisting on the difference between being free to act and being free to will, using examples (like dice throws) to argue that effects follow necessarily from causes. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 |
|---|---|
| Editor | Molesworth, William, Sir, 1810-1855 |
| Title | The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 05 (of 11) |
| Original Publication | London: John Bohn, 1839. |
| Contents | Tripos; in three discourses: Human nature, or the fundamental elements of policy. De corpore politico, or the elements of law. Of liberty and necessity -- An answer to Bishop Bramhall's book, called "The catching of the Leviathan" -- An historical narration concerning heresy, and the punishment thereof -- Considerations upon the reputation, loyalty, manners, and religion of Thomas Hobbes -- Answer to Sir William Davenant's preface before "Gondibert" -- Letter to the Right Honourable Edward Howard. |
| Credits | Emmanuel Ackerman, KD Weeks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 61.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion |
| Subject | Philosophy, English -- 17th century |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 76650 |
| Release Date | Aug 8, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 662 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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