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Thomas Hobbes and His Disciples in France and England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2009

Quentin Skinner
Quentin Skinner
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Cambridge University
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Extract

When Thomas Hobbes arrived in France at the end of 1640, “the first of all that fled” from the growing threat of civil war in England, he began an exile which was to last eleven years, an exile which was moreover to prove the most intellectually fruitful period of his whole life. In Paris he was to reach the height of his polemical powers, conducting his debates with Descartes on the existence of secondary qualities, and with Bishop Bramhall on free will. In Paris he was also to bring to fruition a lifetime of speculation about the science of politics, completing the De Cive and writing the whole of Leviathan.

Type
Reception of Ideas
Information
Comparative Studies in Society and History , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , January 1966 , pp. 153 - 167
Copyright
Copyright © Society for the Comparative Study of Society and History 1966

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References

1 Hobbes's own remark. See The English Works, ed. Sir Molesworth, William, 11 vols. (London, 1839–45), IV, 414Google Scholar (hereafter cited as E.W.).

2 Hobbes discussed this dispute as early as 1641. See letter Hobbes à Mersenne pour Descartes, Paris, March 30th 1641, in (Euvres de Descartes, ed. Adam, C. and Tannery, P., 13 vols. (Paris, 1897–1957), III, 341–348Google Scholar.

3 For discussion, see Robertson, G. C., Hobbes (Edinburgh, 1886), pp. 163–167Google Scholar. For bibliography, Macdonald, H. and Hargreaves, M., Thomas Hobbes: a Bibliography (London, 1952), pp. 37–41Google Scholar

4 Hobbes mentions and dates completion of the works in Thomas Hobbes Malmesburiensis Vita Carmine Expressa, his verse autobiography, in The Latin Works, ed. Molesworth, Sir William, 5 vols. (London, 1839–45)Google Scholar, I, xc-xcii (hereafter cited as L.W.).

5 Mersenne and group fulsomely cited in L.W., I, xc-xci.

6 Aubrey, J., Brief Lives, ed. Clark, A., 2 vols. (Oxford, 1898), I, 338Google Scholar.

7 Robertson, Hobbes, pp. 167–185 (Mathematical disputes); Mintz, S. I., The Hunting of Leviathan (Cambridge, 1962), pp. 63–109Google Scholar (attacks on materialism).

8 Mintz, p. 147.

9 The MSS, formerly at Hardwick, previously made available to three scholars, none of whom made any use of correspondence. Robertson, “Note on the Hardwick MSS”, in Hobbes, p. 236n., mentioned Du Verdus, but cited no letters and dismissed rest of correspondence as “of no account”. Tönnies, F., Thomas Hobbes, der Mann und der Denker (Stuttgart, 1912Google Scholar) cited MSS in sources, but quoted only one (p. 45), and again made no use of correspondence. Strauss, L. , The Political Philosophy of Hobbes (Oxford, 1936)Google Scholar, mentioned Chatsworth MSS (p. xiii), but again cited no correspondence. I am very greatly indebted to His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and to the Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement, for permission to examine and to cite from the archive of correspondence. I am also much indebted to Mr. T. S. Wragg, the Librarian of Chatsworth, for invaluable advice and help.

10 See Introduction to Mersenne, P. Marin, Correspondence, ed. deWaard, C., 7 vols. (Paris, 1932–1962)Google Scholar, I, xivi-xlviii.

11 Pierre de Fermat (1595–1665), correspondent of Mersenne, knew several of Hobbes's friends. See Lenoble, R., Mersenne ou la Naissance du Mechanisme (Paris, 1943), p. xxxviiiGoogle Scholar.

12 The contemporary view. See M. Costar, “Memoire des Gens de Lettres celebres de France”, Continuation des Memoires de Litterature et d'Histoire de Mr de Salingre, 11 vols. (Paris, 1726), II, 341. Also mentions most of Mersenne group.

13 Samuel Sorbière, A Voyage to England (tr. 1709), p. 96.

14 Pierre Gassendi, Opera Omnia, 6 vols. (Lugdini, 1658): Vol. VI, Epistolae (e.g., VI, 522, Hobbes to Gassendi, 1649).

15 F. Hilarion de Coste, La Vie du R. P. Marin Mersenne (Paris, 1649), p. 30 et. seq., and p. 89 et. seq., lists of Mersenne's friends. Also included Descartes, Gassendi, Fermat, Galileo, and Hobbes himself.

16 Brown, H., Scientific Organisations in Seventeenth Century France (Baltimore, 1934), pp. 59–63Google Scholar mentions Digby and Petty in this connection.

17 According to de Coste, p. 92, though appears as D'lgbi.

18 Nicolson, M., “The Early Stage of Cartesianism in England”, Studies in Philology, XXVI (1929), p. 358Google Scholar.

19 Petty to Pell, Paris, November 1645, printed in Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice, The Life of Sir William Petty (London, 1895), pp. 7–8Google Scholar.

20 Fitzmaurice, pp 5–6. Cf. Aubrey, ed. Clark, I, 367–368.

21 On Montmor academy, and relations to Mersenne's circle, see Brown, chs. III-V.

22 Du Verdus: invariably so called, though real name Francois Bonneau, Sieur de Verdus. On relation to Roberval's work, see Cantor, M., Vorlesungen iiber Geschichte der Mathematik, 4 vols. (Leipzig, 1880–1908), II, 800–806Google Scholar.

23 Mersenne à Torricelli, December, 1644, discussed Du Verdus's work. See (Euvres de Fermat, ed. Tannery, P. and Henry, C., 4 vols. (Paris, 1891–1912), IV, 85Google Scholar.

24 According to Pintard, R., Le Libertinage Erudit (Paris, 1943), p. 332Google Scholar, who takes most of this material from Samuel Sorbière, Epistolae… ad illustres et eruditos viros scriptae (Paris, 1673).

25 See below, n. 30.

26 Hobbes MSS (Chatsworth), Box 2, Letters to Hobbes, unclassified (bundled by name of correspondent). De Martel to Hobbes, April 1655: cites Du Verdus and Du Prat; April 1657: cites Fermat; August 1657: cites Du Bosc. All Hobbes MSS citation is from this source, hereafter cited as Hobbes MSS. Sources in Latin, French, English. All translations mine. Spelling and punctuation modernised, but dates old-style.

27 de Coste, Mersenne, p. 95.

28 Samuel Sorbière, Lettres et Discours (Paris, 1660). Letters to Du Prat, pp. 64–68 and 390–394; to Du Bosc, pp. 151–169; to De Martel, pp. 573–606; to Hobbes, pp 631–636, and in Hobbes MSS.

29 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, De Martel to Hobbes, 1656 and 1657.

30 MSS Bibliothèque Nationale, De Martel to Mersenne, July 1648, cited in Brown, p. 59.

31 Hobbes, L.W., I, xcix.

32 Hobbes, Thomas Hobbes Malmesburiensis Vita, autobiography, L.W., I, xv.

33 The second translation, issued 1660. See Macdonald and Hargreaves, pp. 21–22.

34 “Clarissimo viro domino Verdusio, nobili Aquitano”, L.W., IV, Preface.

35 The re-issue of De Cive in 1647; the issue of the Opera Philosophica in 1668: both by Bleau, with Sorbière as intermediary. See Robertson, Hobbes, p. 62 and p. 197n.

36 Dialogus Physicus — inscribed “Viro Clarissimo et Amicissimo Samueli Sorbiero”, L.W., IV, 235.

37 Sorbière translated De Cive, 1649, as Elemens Philosophique du Citoyen. See Macdonald and Hargreaves, pp. 20–21.

38 The Hobbes MSS include Corespondence between Bleau and Hobbes: cf. n. 35, above.

39 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, May and October 1656, cited Mylon, De Martel, Peleau.

40 Sorbière, Lettres et Discours, pp. 631–636. The only surviving account of the constitution.

41 Cf. n. 26, above.

42 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Bosc to Hobbes, September 1659. Du Bosc seems to have stayed with Hobbes in England during the 1620's. See Pintard, p. 627.

43 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, D u Prat to Hobbes, October 1655, September 1656. Hobbes evidently tried in 1646 to get D u Prat a job with the Cavendishes. See Pintard, p. 333. Du Verdus knew Du Prat and D e Martel. See Michel de Marolles, Mèmoires, and Suite des Mèmoires, 2 vols. (Paris, 1656–57), I, 199.

44 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Sorbière to Hobbes, undated.

45 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Tandy to Hobbes, 1656.

46 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Guisony to Hobbes, May 1659.

47 Oldenburg wrote of Montmor group as mainly mathematical, 1659, and mentioned Du Prat and Mylon. See the Royal Society MSS, Liber Epistolaris, quoted in Brown, p. 99.

48 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Mylon to Hobbes, 1657; Blacu to Hobbes, 1659; Du Verdus to Hobbes (total of 32 letters), 1656–1761; Liber Epistolaris, Oldenburg to Hobbes, June 1655. Letter about mathematics. Cites previous correspondence. (Information on Oldenburg kindly provided by Professor A. Rupert Hall.)

49 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, April 1665.

50 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Moray to Hobbes, May 1661.

51 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Peleau to Hobbes, May 1656.

52 Chapelain to Huygens, August 20, 1659, speaks of Guisony and his work, Œuvres Computès de Christian Huygens, 22 vols. (La Haye, 1888–1950), II, 468Google Scholar and note.

53 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Guisony to Hobbes, May 1659.

54 Sorbière, Voyage, p. 26. Montconys also seems to have visited Hobbes at the same time. See Ibid., p. 27.

55 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Bosc to Hobbes, September 1659, acknowledged receipt of Leviathan and De Homine from Hobbes's publisher. Circulated among De la Mote, Du Prat, Sorbière.

56 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Prat to Hobbes, October 1655; also September 1656, in reply to Hobbes to Sorbière.

57 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Prat to Hobbes, October 1655.

58 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Prat to Hobbes, in English, September 1656.

59 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Bosc to Hobbes, in English, September 1659.

60 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, August 1654.

61 See Macdonald and Hargreaves, pp. 13 and 20–22.

62 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Prat to Hobbes, October 1655, claimed to be thinking of making own translation.

63 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, January 1657, enclosing complete draft of Chapter IV, Of Speech (Du Langage).

64 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, April 1665.

65 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Peleau to Hobbes, May 1656 (fo. 2).

66 I am very greatly indebted to the Most Hon. the Marquis of Lansdowne for permission to examine and to cite from the Petty Papers (Bowood). I have tried here mainly to cite evidence in print, but chief evidence for Petty's debts to Hobbes is still in MSS, which I hope shortly to examine more fully.

67 The Petty Papers, ed. The Marquis of Lansdowne, , 2 vols. (London, 1927), II, 34Google Scholar.

68 Petty Papers, II, 34. Translation mine.

69 Some evidence of this even in printed sources: see Petty Papers, I, 152–162 (general philosophy and definitions); I, 121–128 (religion); I, 16–21, 229 and 234 (political details, including discussion of “Normanism” and the “State of Nature”).

70 Petty Papers, I, 219.

71 The judgment is from Oakeshott, M., “Introduction” to Leviathan (Oxford, 1946), p. xGoogle Scholar.

72 Thomas Birch, The History of the Royal Society, 4 vols. (London, 1756), I, 26–27.

73 Samuel Sorbière, “Le Libraire au Lecteur” in Le Corps Politique (n.p., 1652).

74 Memoranda on reading, Petty Papers (Bowood). See also Petty Papers, II, 5.

75 See Edward Southwell to Petty, Charles, in The Petty-Southwell Correspondence, ed. The Marquis of Lansdowne (London, 1928), p. 311Google Scholar.

76 See Petty-Southwell Correspondence, p. 305.

77 Hobbes, E.W., III, 23–24.

78 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, December, 1655 (fo. 3).

79 Ibid. (fo. 7).

80 Petty-Southwell Correspondence, p. 158.

81 Petty Papers, II, 199.

82 Petty-Southwell Correspondence, p. 158.

83 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, December 1655 (fo. 3).

84 Petty Papers (Bowood), Vol. IV, item 36, fo. 1, MS dated 1687, in Petty's hand. Items 1 and 21 are copies of same. Item 36 roughly set up for printer but never published. For similar claim in print, see “Preface” to Political Arithmetick in The Economic Writings of Sir William Petty, ed. Hull, C. H., 2 vols. (Cambridge, 1899), I, 244Google Scholar.

85 Hull, “Introduction” to Economic Writings, pp. lxi-lxiii, noted Petty's affinities to Hobbes.

86 Sir William Petty, A Discourse… Concerning the Use of Duplicate Proportion (London, 1674). Epistle Dedicatory, Sig. A, 10b.

87 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Bagshawe to Hobbes, in English, March 1658.

88 Laird, J., Hobbes (London, 1934)Google Scholar, Pt. III, esp. ch. IX; Bowie, John, Hobbes and his Critics (London, 1951)Google Scholar, esp. ch. II.

89 Bowie, p. 13 and p. 43.

90 For further attempt at this see my “History and Ideology in the English Revolution”, The Historical Journal, Vol. VIII (1965), pp. 151–178Google Scholar.

91 Mintz, p. 45.

92 Friedrich, Carl J., The Age of the Baroque (New York, 1952), p. 93Google Scholar.

93 David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (London, 1738), vol. 1, Introduction.

94 Friedrich, p. 119.

95 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, item E 2, Catalogues, in Hobbes's hand, 40 pp. “Polit.” entries on fo. 9.

96 Hobbes's comments can only be implied from correspondence of disciples: Robertson (p. 23 6n.) tried and failed to discover Hobbes's answers. I have published Hobbes's only known reply to questioning about his politics in “Hobbes on Sovereignty: an Unknown Discussion”, Political Studies, Vol. XIII (1965), pp. 213–218Google Scholar.

97 Hobbes to Aubrey, February 1674, Petty Papers (Bowood), Vol. VI, Pt. 11, item 17. For explanation of how this MS. got into the Bowood archive, see Aubrey, ed. Clark, 1, 368.

98 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, August 1654. Queries 4th August. Thanks for reply 20th August.

99 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Du Verdus to Hobbes, Queries December 1656. Thanks January 1657.

100 Hobbes MSS, Box 2, Peleau to Hobbes, Letter with queries undated. Thanks October 1656.

101 The conclusion of the study by Hall, A. R., Ballistics in the Seventeenth Century (Cambridge, 1952), p. 163Google Scholar.

102 Hall, A. R., The Scientific Revolution, 2nd ed. (London, 1962)Google Scholar. Ch. VII provides best introduction to Scientific Societies.

103 Huygens also corresponded with several of Hobbes's friends, including Mylon (see Huygens, Œuvres, II, 373) and Guisony (Ibid., XXII, 66–67).

104 J-B. du Hamel, Regiae Scientiarium Academiae Historia (Paris, 1698), p. 3. Translation mine.

105 Sorbière to Hobbes, Lettres et Discours, p. 634.

106 Sorbière to Colbert, quoted in Brown, p. 126.

107 For Fermat's work, see Cantor, Vorlesungen, II, 798. For Du Verdus's, see letter on mathematical dispute quoted in Tannery, P., “Sur le Mathdmaticien Francois Chauveau”, Bulletin des Sciences Mathematiques, XIX (1895), 34–37Google Scholar.

108 Du Prat addressed by Sorbiere 1659 as “medicin du Roy”. Lettres et Discours, p. 64. De Martel spoken of as doctor, 1659, when Oldenburg visited Montmor Academy. Brown, p. 141.

109 Samuel Sorbiere, “Praefatio in qua de Vita, et Moribus Petri Gassendi disseritur”, in Gassendi, Opera Omnia, 1, Sig. ī, 2b., referred to De Martel as a man whose “concern with public affairs has not prevented him from taking an active part in philosophical study”. Translation mine.

110 Mersenne to Sorbière, 1646, MSS Bibliothèque Nationale, cited in Lenoble, p. 577.

111 De Martel was “one of the first men to read” De Cive, according to Pintard, p. 332. Fermat read it within a month or two of its first appearance. See Fermat to Mersenne, 1642, in Œuvres de Fermat, II, 243–44.